This pdf resource contains lectures from the Green Health Live events and practical advice about using church green space to create community health
- The theological basis for gardens for health – Prof Jim McManus, Director of Public Health for Hertfordshire
- The benefits of plants to health and wellbeing – Dr Alistair Griffiths, director of science and collections at the Royal Horticultural Society
- ‘It keeps me sane’: psychology and gardening – Professor Harriet Gross, University of Lincoln
- People, places and health: come into the garden… – David Buck, senior fellow for public health and inequalities at The King’s Fund
- Plus, advice from the winners of The Church Times Green Health Awards
The Introduction from The Bishop of Carlisle
Gardening has a long and honourable link with both spirituality and healing. It can be a truly therapeutic activity which contributes to mental and physical wellbeing – it is no coincidence gardens, whether of Eden or Gethsemane, feature so prominently in scripture. We all know gardening is good exercise for the body, but it can also provide excellent therapy for the mind. It’s about shalom — the wholeness of body, mind and spirit. As the Church of England’s lead bishop on health I’m delighted this enterprising Green Health initiative has attracted such widespread interest and support. All of the projects shortlisted for last year’s Green Health Awards have much to teach us about the benefits of first-hand engagement with God’s creation. They ranged from Edinburgh to Penzance and covered everything from bee-keeping to multi-sensory reflection. Choosing a winning initiative was far from easy – we wanted to applaud everyone involved for their commitment to such imaginative forms of mission. Every one of them is devoted to promoting wholeness and wellbeing, and every one of them is making a difference to the lives of people in their communities. I hope you and your church community will be inspired to follow in their footsteps.
This resource was created in collaboration with The Church of England and The Conservation Foundation