Transformational Nature-based Prescriptions (TNP) is an ambitious and transformational specialist delivery, research, and service evaluation project.
TNP will deliver evidence based nature based therapeutic services to veterans and service leavers with unmet health needs, as well as collarte quantitative and qualitative data on the wellbeing, health and social benefits of nature-based therapy (NBT) for the Armed Forces (AF) Community.
TNP will create a weight of evidence to influence social prescribing policy and in turn access statutory funding in order to underpin sustainable service delivery for the AF Community.
TNP is delighted that as a result of the aims of the project DGS has been nominated as an Active Member of the National Academy of Social Prescribing Innovation Network.
TNP is funded under the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust Transformational Grants programme.
The House of Lords Horticulture Committee called for evidence in March 2023 on a number of areas relating to the Horticulture Sector. The majority focused on the impact on trade post Brexit, for example labour supply and careers in the sector. However it was also broader, including:
lessons learned from horticultural policy and practice from overseas, or from the devolved administrations.
The effectiveness of Government planning and policymaking in relation to horticulture.
Horticulture’s contribution to mental and physical health.
DGS submitted evidence in relation to mental and physical health, raising awareness of the Transformational Nature based Prescriptions
Our evidence has been been published, see link
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
A foraging morning at Porthpean Beach
Run by Emma Gunn of Never Mind the Burdocks and organised in conjunction with the veteran’s organisation SmartSavings. A number of DGS ‘graduates’ from other courses also attended. It was a fascinating morning where all participants learned new things and ate a lot of wild produce including coastal plants and many forms of seaweed as well as foraged food prepared by Emma.
Further links were built with Smart Savings and EPIC Gigability with plans for DGS participants to be involved in water sports.
One veteran enjoyed being back at DGS describing the morning’s activities as ‘mind blowing’.
Team Leader - week five Eden April 2023
‘interesting, fabulous, informative and connecting’
Veteran participant - Ashes to ‘Gold April 2023
Feedback from the group
One Veteran reported that colleagues had noted she was much calmer, they attributed this to attending this course. She reported feeling calmer.
One Veteran reported ‘today had changed my reason to walk, I always seen walking as exercise, but now I will be going out to look at nature’.
Ashes to Gold April 2023
Icebreaker to bring individuals from three different referral groups together.
All contributed and shared what they were excited about on the course – many had always wanted to grow their own food.
Tour of the garden. Tasting and smelling different
herbs. Viewed the currant and gooseberry bushes in bloom.Tried some fresh rhubarb.
Beautiful weather. Had soup and tea at the end, introduced the reflective diaries and led planning of activities in coming weeks
Team Leader -Week one- Linburn April 2023
The TNP evaluation will gather share learning and best practice from across the network. Five gardens will support TNP with service delivery and data collection in Autumn 2034 and Spring 2024.
ENGLAND- The Eden Project- Cornwall and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Forest Garden, Trowbridge
SCOTLAND- Linburn Walled Garden - Edinburgh
NORTHERN IRELAND- Brooke House, Fermanagh, and Ashes to Gold- Coleraine
WALES- Woody’s Lodge,- Barry, S Wales
TNP Gardens
The Eden Project, England.
Currently working with their fifth DGS cohort. Extensive experience of horticultural therapy programmes for vulnerable groups in the SW and long-standing experience of engagement with statutory services for Social Prescribing.
Ashes to Gold, Coleraine, Northern Ireland
Established delivery partner since 2019 and currently delivering DGS within VPPP NI.
Cyrenians, Scotland.
Providing values-led and relationship-based approaches to tackling the causes and consequences of homelessness. A new DGS partner delivering the first programme in Spring 2023 at the LInburn Walled Garden near Edinburgh with support and referrals from Veterans Scotland Health and Wellbeing Group, Sight Scotland Veterans and Veterans Housing Scotland.
• Woody’s Lodge, Wales.
A social hub who guides veterans and their families to the support they need to re-engage with their families and communities. They have been awarded multiple AFCFT grants which has enabled them to grow stronger across Wales and form referral links with multiple veteran organisations including Veterans NHS Wales, they are a partner of Wales VPPP. Woody’s Lodge have recently been awarded the Armed Forces Covenant ERS Gold Award for aligning its values to the Armed Forces Covenant and inspiring others to the same.