Hampstead Heath supporting mental health
All of us who volunteer, work or relax on Hampstead Heath know how important our green spaces are for our health and wellbeing.
Sunday 10th October was World Mental Health Day – a time to reflect and raise awareness about the impact poor mental health has on millions of people around the globe. We are incredibly lucky to have good access to green spaces like the Heath, and benefit from the restorative time we spend outdoors in nature.
Participants in a nature mindfulness workshop in spring 2021
Heath Hands aims to support everyone who would like to get involved in beneficial activities on the Heath. Check out our community pages for the various ways we can help, and to find out how our work aims to combat poor mental health. If you work with children and young people , do consider bringing them to the Heath to spend time in nature either through our youth programmes or our work with schools.
A great amount of our conservation work is carried out by our amazing volunteers, and many report the benefits they experience as a result of volunteering outdoors. When surveyed in the midst of the pandemic, 98% of our volunteers reported that their volunteering activities were important for their mental health, one saying that “Volunteering is good for the soul – I have really missed it during lockdown”.
Forest bathing and nature mindfulness are amongst the numerous activities that we run on Hampstead Heath. They are accessible activities, designed to pass on simple techniques and exercises which can enhance mood and help address poor mental health by really connecting with nature.
Our next Forest Bathing workshop is happening on 20th November - check out our What’s on page for further details. All of our activities are free to attend.
We are proud to support the mental health of our volunteers and anyone who wants to get involved in Heath Hands activities and have staff trained in Mental Health First Aid.
If you are in need of further support, visit Mind for specialist assistance.
