Our Health Meadow - Fit for the Future

Cardiff & Vale Health Charity

The pandemic has severely impacted on our collective physical and mental health. In particular, those from disadvantaged backgrounds have been most affected. In October 2020, Cardiff & Vale Health Charity undertook a two-week Digital Consultation on the outdoor space at University Hospital Llandough and enquired of stakeholders what they needed and what they'd like the seven acre site to be used for. The feedback received included: a place for rehabilitation, taking breaks, recreation, activities, therapy, growing and nature walks.

In partnership with Down to Earth, an award-winning social enterprise supporting people to bring about positive change in their lives through meaningful outdoor activity, the “Fit for the Future” project took place between October 2020 and June 2023, and led to the creation of a “Health Meadow”. NHS staff were approached, in particular those working in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, brain injury unit and stroke unit, to demonstrate different ways of offering rehabilitation through an outdoor-based approach.

Following a good response from staff who were interested in testing this new method of rehabilitation, patients were brought over to the Health Meadow from the wards to engage in the project. Re-learning fine motor skills after a stroke or gaining strength in their hands by taking part in construction or planting whilst being outdoors in nature helped with both physical and mental health. Programmes at the Health Meadow have been fully subscribed and the team were inundated with requests for patients, community groups, corporate companies and schools to take part in these social prescribing activities to improve health and wellbeing.

Over the two-and-a-half years of this project, 1003 stakeholders and 1591 participants have been engaged, with 507 training days / sessions taking place. Plans are now in place for the construction of a green-roofed wellbeing centre named “The Nature Haven” to be built on the grounds of the Health Meadow.