Beyondly Funds Nature Prescription Project
Beyondly’s vision is to create a better, fairer, sustainable world for all, and we can’t do it alone! Our expertise in environmental consultancy lends itself well to creating a sustainable world, but it is Beyondly’s Fund for Change that allows us to encourage a world that is better, fairer and more sustainable.
The North York Moors Trust is an independent registered charity striving for a thriving, healthy and resilient future for local communities, people, and nature. The Trust was chosen in 2023 alongside 12 other charities, to receive a portion of 5% of Beyondly’s net profit. All the charities align with Beyondly’s recent materiality assessment, addressing environmental, social and governance issues.
The North York Moors Trust received a donation total of £6,914 to implement the Nature Prescriptions Project in the North York Moors and surrounding areas. Working in partnership with the North York Moors National Park Authority and RSPB England, the project aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of people by connecting them with nature. The project builds on the back of RSPB’s successful Nature Prescription pilot work in Scotland. RSPB England are also working with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to deliver a parallel project, making the impact and scope North Yorkshire-wide.p
Together the partnership will provide training for healthcare professionals who will prescribe local and accessible nature-based activities to their patients and service users to complement other health interventions, such as listening to birdsong, walking in the local green spaces, or taking part in activities in the North York Moors National Park.
More widely there is a wealth of evidence to show the stronger your connection with nature the greater your physical and mental health and wellbeing, the less anxious and calmer you feel, and the more equipped you are to build and maintain strong relationships. Therefore this project will demonstrate the positive impact of embedding nature within healthcare pathways and cultivate lasting connections that will inspire a desire to take action to project nature.
James Metcalfe, Director of the North York Moors Trust
“We are proud to be helping deliver an aspirational approach to lifting the health and wellbeing of people and communities in the North York Moors and surrounding areas such as Whitby and Scarborough.
Supporting and nurturing nature connection is a positive, proactive, and cost-effective response to the declining health of people and nature by bringing them together and unlocking the reciprocal benefits of doing so, such as reducing stress and anxiety and encouraging independent action to protect and enhance nature and biodiversity.
Partnership is key to the success of this project, we are proud to be working collaboratively with public, private, and charitable sector organisations to improve mental health and wellbeing and forge lasting connections with nature”
Lucy Boyes, Talent and Culture Co-ordinator, from Beyondly, said:
“We understand the importance of health and wellbeing, and we have all seen the negative effects of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis on mental health in recent years. As a business, we’re committed to creating a better, more sustainable world for all and positively impact society and the environment.
As an employer, our wellbeing programme promotes and encourages healthy lifestyles and creates opportunities for employees to reap the benefits of getting out into nature, even in our office surroundings. Therefore, we’re delighted to be supporting The North York Moors Trust, North York Moors National Park Authority and RSPB in their Nature Prescription project.
The project will, we believe, provide much needed mutual benefit to both our surrounding environment and local communities and we are looking forward to seeing this positive impact in a region that’s just on our doorstep.”
Take a look at all of the charities supported by Beyondly’s 2023 Fund for Change programme here.
