Skip to content

Can better information about wellbeing activities in green spaces improve the uptake of social prescribing initiatives?

    Cohort 2025 PhD Project

    About The Project

    This PhD project explores the role of public health messaging used in social prescribing contexts. Focusing on physical activities in green environments, the research seeks to inform evidence-based tailoring of health communication to reflect the diverse backgrounds, attitudes, and experiences of individuals and groups in local communities. It will further explore the relationship between tailoring public health messaging and the effectiveness of this kind of communication.

    Evidence shows that better health outcomes and reduced inequalities can be achieved when individuals can shape their own care and well-being. The NHS is significantly investing in social prescribing, aiming to double the number of Social prescribing Link Workers to 6,500 by 2028.

    Social prescribing, including alternatives to medicine like physical exercise, aims to enhance individual health autonomy, and the government funded a £5.77 million Green Social Prescribing Programme to increase engagement specifically in green space activities. Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System (ICS) participated in this initiative (one of the seven ICS’s), which is still offered by the Rushcliffe Primary Care Network (PCN) in Nottinghamshire.

    With mental health and obesity affecting a significant portion of the population (all ethnicities, ages and genders), incurring substantial healthcare costs, and with Nottinghamshire’s health profile showing a significantly higher rate of self-harm and overweight or obese adults, opportunities to increase uptake of physical activities in green environments could help address these challenges.

    However, despite there being a considerable number and variety of opportunities available, engagement in these activities is low, particularly for green space activities. For example, in Rushcliffe PCN out of over 3,000 social prescribing referrals, only eight patients have engaged in allotment gardening.

    The limited time during patient consultation, and the limited evidence base behind the material and messaging around social prescribing communication is likely to impact its effectiveness. Additionally, physical activities in green environments face complexities such as adverse weather conditions, perceived risks, and equipment requirements, all of which can influence and deter patient participation. Despite the use of campaigns, leaflets, stickers, and rewards to boost engagement in social prescribing, uptake of green activities remains low locally. 

    This PhD will explore and evaluate the impact of health messaging in social prescribing for green space activities. Based on these insights, possible interventions will be developed and evaluated together with the social prescribers. By addressing the low uptake in current systems, this research aims to enhance the quality of life for individuals through greater engagement in green space activities in Nottingham.

    Project Aims 

    The overall aims of the project are:     

    • To investigate how ‘information’ influences engagement and motivation in social prescribing physical activities in green spaces.
    • To understand how tailoring health communication to the diverse backgrounds, attitudes, and experiences of local communities impacts its effectiveness.
    • To design and apply findings to test how to improve the uptake of green social prescribing activities locally.
    • To engage local stakeholders and the wider public by sharing findings and best practice, promoting scalability and sustainability with successful messaging.

    Project Supervisors