Nurturing Health Through Green Prescribing in the Afan Valley

19 Jun 2025

Following the successful application of the ‘The National Lottery Community Fund’, Coed Lleol will deliver a ‘Nurturing Health through Green Prescribing’ project over a 2 year period, across the Afan GP cluster of Neath Port Talbot. We will work alongside the Social Prescribers, to engage and support individuals who may may need alternative support through our green skills programmes.

 

We will be offering a range of woodland and nature-based programmes, that are designed around the NHS inspired ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’: Connect, Learn, Be Active, Give, and Take Notice. The programmes will consist of fun, accessible activities, including: foraging and guided walks, natural arts and crafts, nature connection, mindfulness, nature ID, bushcraft and survival skills and campfire cooking.

 

People will have the opportunity to develop new skills and form new relationships and get to know nature site within the local area. Enjoying shared experiences with others facing similar situations to themselves, either through an illness, physical or mental health conditions. A cup of tea and welcoming fire await!

 

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand work we started with the Social Prescribing Team across NPT in recent years. There are many ways to improve our physical and mental health but not always to time, space and affordability to do so. We’re grateful to the National Lottery for understanding the value of the experiences we offer to communities” Alison Moore – Social Forestry and Wellbeing Manager, Coed Lleol / SWA

 

From the words of a previous participant:

“Meeting and mixing with other people on the programme helped me to feel more relaxed and improved my confidence. Being in the woodland gave me a sense of peace and tranquillity and had a calming effect, which I hadn’t really realised before. I feel more confident, these sessions got me out of the house, I was able to talk to people easier.”

 

A range of 8 week and one-off sessions will be running throughout 2025 – 2027. If you live within the Afan cluster area detailed below and want to know more, please get in touch:

Port Talbot   

Taibach

Margam 

Glyncorrwg 

Sandfield 

Baglan 

Bryn/Cwmavon 

Cymmer  

Gwynfi  

Aberavon 

 

To find out more, contact: Shelly Okoh [email protected]