Message from Allison Walters, Shropshire NGS publicity.
We gardeners always knew this anyway!
Gardens and Health
The recent launch of the report Gardens and Health, Implications for policy and practice, commissioned by the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) from The King's Fund urges the NHS to prescribe gardening far more often for patients with a number of conditions, including cancer, dementia and mental health problems.
Jane Ellison, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, backs the plan that calls for greater recognition and integration of gardens in NHS and public health policy. "[Gardening] is profoundly good for you … [it] is a great way of keeping people active, of keeping them outside and keeping their sense of wellbeing very high," she said. "There are things we can do around physical activity in particular that bring immediate payback ... I'm trying to put this right across the agenda of dementia and cancer."
The publication of this report can be seen as a curtain call for this year's Chelsea Flower Show, opening next week, where gardens and health will be the main theme. Highlighting the growing trend for garden related activities to take a more central role in improving health and be prescribed through healthcare professionals. The independent report, commissioned by the NGS from The King's Fund, echoes this trend, as it calls on policymakers, the NHS, clinicians and local government to recognise and do more to promote the importance of gardens and gardening in improving health outcomes.
The report has already made headlines for it's recommendations to GP's. To read more visit our website here.
-- Yoland Brown Brownhill House B&B & Garden, Ruyton XI Towns nr. Shrewsbury SY4 1LR Tel: 01939 261 121 brownhill@eleventowns.co.uk www.eleventowns.co.uk www.eleventowns.org uk www.eleventowns.com ShACC - Shropshire Alternative Car Club - www.ShACC-uk.org MAILING LIST for Ruyton XI Towns area Yo`s blog: http://Yo-emails.blogspot.co.uk
