Have a nature adventure this advent with Get Outdoors Lanarkshire
The Lanarkshire Green Volunteer Network, part of the Lanarkshire Green Health Partnership have just launched their Winter 2020 Project on a new website under the name Get Outdoors Lanarkshire.
The Winter 2020 Project is an initiative to support people to increase their physical activity and improve their mental health through engaging with the natural environment, even in the depths of winter, making the most of Our Natural Health Service.
From 1st December Get Outdoors Lanarkshire will be bringing you an online Nature Advent(ure) Calendar. Every day throughout advent there will be a video made by a member of the network, each focusing on a different way to help people to connect to nature during the winter, including things to look out for and activities to take part in.
But the fun doesn’t stop on Christmas Eve, the team are currently creating their own nature version of the 12 Days of Christmas to keep you connecting with nature into 2021, and from January they’ll be bringing you weekly webinars to help you engage more deeply with nature.
In normal times, the members of the network offer a wide range of volunteering opportunities and green health activities for participants to get involved in, with referrals coming from NHS Lanarkshire as well as many other partner agencies. However since lockdown in March, the opportunities for individuals to get involved have been limited and so the group have been looking for other ways to help people continue to connect to nature. Following the success of their booklet 19 Ways to Stay Connected with Nature during COVID-19 produced in March, they decided to take things online this winter and encourage more people to get involved.
Mike Brady, chair of the Green Volunteer Network said “We’re really missing being able to involve volunteers in the work we do. They are an important part of how all of our groups operate, but this year we’ve been really limited in what they have been able to get involved in. This project is a way to offer them something to help keep them connected both with nature and to the groups they volunteer with.”
Bridget Finton from the People & Places Activity Team in NatureScot said “Having helped establish the Lanarkshire Green Health Partnership, NatureScot is pleased to support this latest delivery project. 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone, but a growing number of people have realised that physical activity outdoors and contact with nature can really help us to cope with the impact of COVID restrictions. Well done to the partners involved in the winter project which will encourage people to keep connected to the outdoors and nature.”
For further information on the project please contact Sarah Burgess, Green Health Development Officer at sarah.burgess@vaslan.org.uk . You can
sign up at www.getoutdoorslanarkshire.com to be kept informed about the winter project, or find them on social media.