You may have heard the term social prescribing recently — from your GP, a care worker, or perhaps a news article about a new approach to health in the NHS. But what does it actually mean, and how does something like gardening fit in?
Here is a straightforward guide — and an introduction to how Your Garden Companions works as a social prescribing partner across Cumbria and South West Scotland.
Social prescribing is a way for GPs, nurses, and other health professionals to connect people with non-medical activities and community support that address the wider causes of poor health — things like loneliness, lack of purpose, low confidence, or stress.
Rather than writing a prescription for medication, a clinician or link worker might refer someone to a gardening group, a walking club, a befriending service, or a community garden. The NHS has embedded social prescribing into its Long Term Plan, and by 2023/24 more than one million people had been referred through social prescribing link workers in England.
Green social prescribing specifically refers to connecting people with nature-based activities — and gardening is one of the most effective. NHS England recognises that nature-based social prescribing plays an important role in improving mental and physical health and reducing loneliness.
The evidence supports this strongly. Interim evaluation of NHS green social prescribing programmes found positive improvements in mental health and wellbeing, particularly in communities experiencing higher levels of social inequality. And the economics stack up: research shows social prescribing can deliver between £2.14 and £8.56 for every £1 invested.
“Over 8,500 people were referred to a green social prescribing activity in just two years with consistently positive outcomes for mental health and wellbeing.” — NHS England
Who Can Be Referred?
Social prescribing is suitable for a wide range of people, but it is particularly beneficial for older adults, people living with long-term conditions, those experiencing loneliness or isolation, and people who are struggling but do not necessarily need clinical intervention.
If you are a link worker, GP, care coordinator, or community professional and you have a patient or client who would benefit from regular time in their garden alongside a caring, qualified companion — we would be glad to hear from you.
We offer one-to-one companion gardening sessions and group gardening activities across Cumbria and South West Scotland. Our service is designed to complement clinical care, not replace it — and we are experienced in working with elderly and less able people, including those living with dementia.
We are happy to discuss referral pathways, provide information for link workers, or simply have an informal conversation about whether our service might be right for someone in your care.
Interested in referring a patient or client? Contact us at yourgardencompanions.org