Michael Gove's 25 Year Environment Plan
Michael Gove's 25 Year Environment Plan
On January 11th 2018, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove MP, published a 150-page Policy Paper on the Government’s 25 Year Plan for the Environment, with an entire chapter devoted to ‘Connecting people with the environment to improve mental health and wellbeing’ (Chapter 3). Read here. The document sets out a ‘Natural Environment for Health and Wellbeing' programme - a cross-government three-year programme focused on supporting local authorities, health organisations, health professionals, teachers and planners in promoting the natural environment as a pathway to good health and wellbeing.
Key pledges include:
“We will scope out how we could connect people more systematically with green space to improve mental health, using the natural environment as a resource for preventative and therapeutic purposes. This will be in line with the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health and support the Government’s new commitments on children’s mental health.”
“Our ambition includes encouraging mental health service providers to explore the potential offered by environmental therapies and doing more to spread the word about the benefits of nature. The Government will promote collaboration between the health and environment sectors, at national and local level.”
“We will consider how NHS mental health providers in England can establish new working arrangements with environmental voluntary sector organisations to offer appropriate therapies – such as gardening, outdoor exercise and care farming – in natural settings to people with mild to moderate mental health conditions and who may be struggling to overcome loneliness and isolation.”
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