Description:
The Nature and Health Practitioner Network (NHPN) recently held its Forum meeting on 4 December 2025 at The Community Farm, bringing together practitioners from across the South West of England, and beyond to reflect on the value of nature-based approaches in health and share experiences from their work.
The meeting included introductions and grounding exercises, a review of the network’s aims, and updates from the three Special Interest Groups (SIGs):
VCSE SIG: Progress on building a member database, sharing funding opportunities, and plans for future meetings in 2026. Key themes include measuring impact, social prescribing, and aligning with the NHS 10-Year Plan.
Children & Young People SIG: Exploring a new name, developing a Vision Statement, and planning events to showcase youth-focused nature activities.
Nature in Statutory Practice and Allies (NISPA) SIG: Recent woodland and guided walk sessions, providing space for practitioners to reflect on challenges and successes in statutory and clinical practice.
A peer practice sharing session allowed participants to reflect on one recent challenge and one success, highlighting the diversity of experiences and insights across the network.
As part of the meeting, participants contributed to a NHPN network-wide consultation, discussing:
– What is valuable about NHPN
– Priority activities and functions for the network
– Challenges practitioners face in their work and how the network could help address them
The consultation continues online for anyone who was unable to attend the Forum. Practitioners are invited to share their thoughts through the survey:
Complete the Consultation Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18av0Qr52dUdQDFcCgIxIpBzJ1n1y_9FM4t03GIRfy1c/viewform?edit_requested=true
This ongoing engagement will help shape the future of NHPN, including SIG activities, network support, and the planned Spring 2026 relaunch.
The NHPN Forum reflects the growing interest in connecting nature and health across the BNSSG region, complementing initiatives like Healthier with Nature, the Green Social Prescribing pilot, which seeks to embed nature-based approaches in health and care through evidence-informed practice and collaboration.
For further information or to get involved with NHPN, email/visit
info@natureandhealthpractitioners.com
www.natureandhealthpractitioners.com
Download:
https://www.naturehealthwest.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Forum-Meeting-Minutes.pdf