Evidence - the health and wellbeing benefits of food growing
The health, wellbeing and social benefits of gardening, horticulture therapy and food growing are becoming better established and documented and there are many examples across the UK, of growing initiatives that are used by different groups to provide opportunities for exercise, to address physical and mental problems, to encourage social interaction and to develop skills, while also providing access to fresh, local fruit and vegetables.
Growing Health has been pulling together different types of evidence that can be used either as a starting point to open discussion with health contacts or to back up your service. We have produced:
- Beacon reports – in depth case studies with key success factors.
- Case studies that give examples of how projects are working with health services.
- An overview of the evidence that exists to show the health benefits of food growing.
- Factsheets covering key health areas.
- Product Sheets, examples of summary info on products and services offered
- A leaflet to use with CCGS or public health which outlines the benefits
- Growing Health posters presented in 2015
Beacon reports
 |
Sydenham GardenSydenham Garden provides green care, nature-based activities and arts and crafts for different client groups including adult mental health and people for early stage dementia. |
 |
Brighton and Hove Food Partnership Dementia Friendly Food ProjectThe commissioned funding covers two 8-week cookery courses per year and two 12-week gardening groups per year for people with mild to moderate dementia and their carers. |
Evidence Review
|
|
Benefits of food growing for health & wellbeing - overview of the evidence |
 |
Benefits of food growing for health & wellbeing - overview of the evidence |
Factsheets
These are a series of short briefings of the benefits for particular health areas.
|
|
Gardening and food growing to reduce stressand stress related illness |
 |
Food Growing & Healthy Weight |
 |
Gardening and growing for people with dementia |
Product sheets
These are examples of services that can be offered providing an overview of the product, identify the client group, outcomes and the evidence. Use these examples and adapt them to your local needs.
|
|
Social and Therapeutic Horticulture |
 |
Growing Enterprise |
The Natural Health Service in Halton, Merseyside, provides a single contact point to well-developed services in the natural environment, proven to tackle a range of health and wellbeing issues. It offers a range of services taking advantage of the area's wealth of green spaces and natural places. It developed this series of product sheets to provide an overview of the products offered including; an overview of the product; identifying the client group and outcomes from delivery, the evidence base and links to case studies. They are updatable and adaptable to local circumstances and developing evidence. Product Sheets are provided for:
- Horticultural Therapy
- Walking for Health
- Cycling for Health
- Forest School
- Green Gym.
Download: Natural Health Service - Consortium Health Products 2013 - Product Sheets.
The Brighton and Hove Food Partnership have developed two very useful visual guides:
- Gardeners Referrers Guide – summarises who it’s for and how they will benefit and referral guidelines
- Gardening for Health and Wellbeing - case study and local benefits
Growing Health posters presented in 2015
 |
Eden on prescription - Vounder Garden, a Space to GrowVounder Garden is a pilot horticultural therapy programme run by the Eden Project based in Cornwall. It uses horticulture and gardening to provide weekly sessions over a period of 12 months to support 12 individuals living with anxiety and depression. |
Growing Health: Growing Health is a national project run by Garden Organic and Sustain, which is funded by the Tudor Trust, to see how community food growing can be routinely used by the health and social care services as a way of promoting health and wellbeing for a range of individuals and population groups.
