Lanarkshire Green Health Partnership

Main aims and partners

The Lanarkshire Green Health Partnership was formed in April 2018 and is helping to connect health & social care with nature.  Lanarkshire is rich in greenspace, parks and nature but this is currently an underused asset.  We are aiming to raise awareness and confidence of the health and social care sector workforce and members of the public to “Get Outdoors Lanarkshire”. We will achieve this by:

• ensuring outdoor activities are promoted and valued in how we provide health services
• calling for action from many organisations
• shaping work around local health priorities

Local partners include North & South Lanarkshire local authorities, leisure and voluntary sector organisations.

Outputs

The Lanarkshire GHP was the first to commence in 2018. Read the Executive Summary for Year 3 and the reports for Years 1, 2 and 3 of its operation to see how much has been achieved to integrate green health into health and social care.

Through the work of the Green Health Volunteer Development Officer, the GHP has produced a Strategic Framework for Green Health Volunteering. This provides a roadmap to guide co-ordination between and expansion of green health volunteering opportunities in Lanarkshire, to be taken forward by the Green Volunteering Network and wider GHP partners.

Related projects

The Green Health Partnership has commissioned Clydesdale Community Initiatives (CCI) to offer growing and cooking opportunities in 4 community hospital sites across North and South Lanarkshire. This project targets individuals experiencing severe mental health issues but also encourages volunteers locally to help out in the weekly sessions.
 
Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire is hosting a Green Health Volunteer Development Officer to identify and connect the range of volunteering opportunities in the outdoors including walking, nature, conservation and gardening activities. Working across North and South Lanarkshire, this work is building capacity to enrich the quality and accessibility of volunteering in the outdoors.

Get Outdoors Lanarkshire provides more information about how to feel healthier and happier in Lanarkshire's outdoors by getting closer to nature.
 
"Get Walking Lanarkshire” aims to improve the health and wellbeing of Lanarkshire's residents by getting more people walking, more often. They offer a timetable of free health walks across both North and South Lanarkshire which are led by trained volunteers and accessible for all ages and abilities.

Key source of local Green Health information 

Being connected to nature might be in your own garden or a local park or if you want to find out about outdoor opportunities including volunteering please have a look at the Green Health portal.

Key contacts 

Marie McKeown - Green Health Partnership Manager
Sarah Burgess - Green Health Volunteer Development Officer