From our years of partner engagement with NHS Fife and its associated Health & Social Care Partnership, as well as our involvement with the Improving Levenmouth Together initiative, seeking to address the causes of antisocial behaviour, we know that Levenmouth has very strong foundations for social referrals, mental health support and programmes focussed on diverting people from harmful habits into more positive pursuits. However, a key gap was identified: a lack of offering for green health activities utilising our fantastic natural assets in Fife. While there are groups, organisations and charities that provide activities for members of the public which are outdoors, in nature or related to nature, they’re barely represented within the existing frameworks of health and social care provision.
For many years the NHS and H&SCP have been excellent at identifying the social and economic determinants of health and wellbeing, building healthcare approaches based on this understanding. Environmental determinants of health and wellbeing however, are still largely identified as threats to, and not an opportunity for good health, with the likes of, air pollution, flooding and water contamination dominating the conversation. The Levenmouth Green Health Partnership (LGHP) seeks to flip this narrative, promoting nature based health interventions in an effort to legitimise green health approaches within the community and local healthcare provision. Our approach is based on the Our Natural Health Service Model pioneered by NatureScot.
The LGHP project will establish a joined-up network which will embed green health activities within health & social care provision while carrying out a programme of awareness raising through dialogue and participation to change people’s perceptions of green health and its benefits.
Use of the recently developed green health development model will allow the GHP coordinator, with support from the steering group to take a systematic approach to achieving the following goals:
1. Improving access to green health information – collating information about accessible green spaces and green health projects to be integrated into specific toolkits for the public, health practitioners and green health providers.
2. Raising awareness of and demonstrating the value of green health within healthcare – communicating the benefits of green health to practitioners from the health, social care and voluntary sectors and ways to connect their service users to local opportunities
3. Developing referral pathways to green health projects – establishing green prescription pathways or incorporating green health options into existing physical activity, mental health, social prescribing and lifestyle pathways and programmes.
4. Promoting the benefits of green health to the public – promoting green health activities such as active travel, volunteering, community gardening and informal recreation through social media, leaflets, short – animated films shown in health and leisure settings and events such as an annual Green Health Week
5. Promote more regular and beneficial use of our natural environment in spaces that have been set up for community use (including within the River Park).
6. Developing green health projects and opportunities – working with partners and green health activity providers to deliver new or expand existing projects for the general public or target locations / identified needs groups.
Our Discovering the Future of Green Health Leven Report shares the findings of the Levenmouth Green Health Partnership Development Group.
A Green Health Partnership Coordinator will be appointed for three years (initially) and will act as a constant enabler, with overarching responsibility for actioning both the strategic and Operational pathways outlined in the Green Health Development Framework. This role will bring clarity, continuity and consistency to all of the partners involved in strengthening the green health offer within Levenmouth, this role underpins the entire programme of work and acts as a central point of contact and momentum for all involved in the partnership.
This project has been developed in collaboration with SEPA, NHS Fife, Fife health and social care partnership, Fife Council, Corra Foundation, and many more partners in the Levenmouth area, and has been progressed using the Human Learning Systems approach, a straightforward approach to complex issues with a focus on improvements in understanding of how to work together to address local issues.
Impact and Legacy:
• Healthcare providers, green health providers and public are better informed of the green health benefits and opportunities in locality.
• Increase in green health referrals leading to
• Health improvements in a local population who value local green spaces and green health opportunities within community
• Increase in green health providers and opportunities.
• Increase in regular uptake of green health activities across demographics in locality and a culture of accessing, valuing and advocating for nature.
This project is a River Park Project, a Leven Programme development, and part funded by the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund.