Green social prescribing in the Cynon Valley

We're working with Cynon Valley Organic Adventures to improve people's health and wellbeing through connection to nature.

Cynon Valley Organic Adventures is a social enterprise and has been voted 2021 National Lottery Wales Project of the Year.

Set in the former mining town of Abercynon in Rhondda Cynon Taff, one of the most socioeconomically deprived communities in the UK, this project builds on existing links between local GPs, wellbeing coordinators and Cynon Valley Organic Adventures, creating new opportunities to engage with nature.

Working with the community, the partnership is developing a nature trail in Abercynon which will allow GPs and other health care professionals to make referrals to community members to engage in nature-based activities to enhance their health and personal wellbeing.

The project will also provide much-needed evidence to help society gain a better understanding of the benefits green prescribing can bring to people's lives. Recording patients' experiences of the nature trail will help generate real-world data on the benefits and capture how connecting with nature can promote health and wellbeing.

The project was featured on BBC Countryfile in November 2022, in an item exploring how participants have benefited from spending time in nature.

This project is sponsored and managed by the Clinical Innovation Accelerator within Cardiff University’s School of Medicine. A partner of the Accelerate | Cyflymu programme, the Clinical Innovation Accelerator is also supporting and contributing to the project through its experienced team of professionals with a wealth of expertise in accelerating the delivery of health and social care focused innovation. The project is also partially funded through the HEFCW Research Wales Innovation Fund as one of our strategic civic mission projects.

Our aims

The outcomes of the project will include:

• an interactive, community-developed nature trail in the Cynon Valley, serving the local community to promote improved wellbeing and long-term health outcomes
• an online tool to measure the wellbeing of individuals engaging with the trail
• increased awareness of the potential benefits of green prescribing for the local population amongst primary care healthcare professionals in South Cynon
• real-world evidence on how engagement with nature has a positive impact on community wellbeing
• a model to inspire and support the implementation of green social prescribing across Wales

Our partners

Partners of this project include Cynon Valley Organic Adventures Ltd, Interlink Rhondda Cynon Taf, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, South Cynon Primary Care Cluster and Swansea University.

Get involved

To find out how to get involved in the project, contact Cynon Valley Organic Adventures by phone or through the form on their website: