Green spaces supports NHS crisis and mental health benefits

As we all know the NHS is an integral part of British identity, but it is at breaking point and needs urgent support. With a large part of the budget supporting mental health, BALI has found some interesting information on how actively looking after green space can support your mental well being.

Studies by two universities, Westminster and Essex have shown that gardening and working on an allotment has helped their mental well-being. Another area in which a sum of money has been set aside from the Autumn Budget.

Over 260 people were surveyed, around half of whom worked on some form of green space. They suggested that as little as 30 mins a week of gardening alone significantly improved their mental health.

The research found that working on a green space once a week had lower levels of fatigue, depression, tension and anger - and had higher self-esteem and better general health - than those who had done no gardening at all. Additionally, research showed that people who regularly gardened actually had fewer weight problems comparatively. They also had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI), reflecting a healthier body weight than those who did not garden.

With this in mind, BALI offers the opportunity to forge a career within the landscape industry through an education initiative named GoLandscape. GoLandscape program supports people looking for a career change and targets young people to consider horticulture as a viable career. With studies showing that working on green spaces supports your mental well-being, it is helpful to know initiatives such as GoLandscape are available.

Working on green spaces and landscaping can be a great tool for the NHS, and with green spaces in Britain becoming scarce it might be the right time for the landscaping industry to step in and support our nation to get healthier physically and mentally.