Ecominds from Mind

One in four people in England and Wales will suffer a mental health problem at some point in their lives.

The Ecominds funding scheme from mental health charity Mind helps thousands of people with direct experience of mental distress, involving them in local environmental projects to improve confidence and self-esteem. This scheme is managed by Mind, the leading mental health charity in England and Wales, thanks to £7.5 million of BIG Lottery Funding.

Ecominds projects range from horticulture through to walking groups, encouraging people to enjoy and benefit from nature and green spaces within their local community. Through these projects, links between participants and their community will be formed, helping reduce the stigma of mental health.

Outdoor activities like those funded through Mind's Ecominds scheme have huge benefits to our mental health. In fact Mind's recent Ecotherapy report highlighted the fact that access to green spaces such as woods can have a massive positive effect on people's mental health and wellbeing.

The VisitWoods project will work with Ecominds to promote woods as a natural and free way to improve mental health.

“We are pleased to be associated with VisitWoods. Their objectives of encouraging people to visit woodland areas fit perfectly with those of Ecominds, which recognises that green/outdoor activity is important for our mental and physical wellbeing.”
Barry Watts, Grants Manager, Mind