Green & Blue Social Prescribing
For the past few years the NHS has begun to explore a more holistic, person centred approach to medicine, recognising the value of services which provide alternatives to medication. Whilst not a fix, all prescribing a patient with activities involving the arts or sport creates space, bonds and opportunities to connect through a shared experience. The impacts can be incredibly powerful and have long lasting benefits that can be far more effective than prescribing the same pills and medication that often treat the symptom not the cause.
Blue therapy - Wild swimming for wellbeing
We use wild swimming as a tool to promote social connection, positive mental health and wellbeing. Our team run wild swimming programmes linked to several inner city health centres in Bristol. Many who live in very urban communities, rarely have the opportunity to access green spaces let alone wild swimming. We use various venues including Henleaze Lake and West Country Water Park. Participants are referred in through the social prescribers attached to health centres and most people are struggling with a range of challenges including anxiety, depression, chronic pain and social isolation. There is a directory of all Green Social Prescribing services in Bristol available here. You can watch a short film about our outdoor swimming programme here
Image credit: This Expansive Adventure
Here’s what one of our participants had to say about our wild swimming for wellbeing social prescribing programme:
“I can’t thank Open Minds Active enough for providing the 6-week Wild Swim Programme which I accessed through Blue Social Prescribing. As someone who suffers with severe social anxiety and depression, the world around me is pretty small at the moment. Being referred for wild swimming by my Mental Health Team, has been one of the best experiences to have happened to me in a very long time. It has provided me with a tool kit to work towards a happier and healthier future. I not only was able to experience the benefits of wild swimming under the guidance of experts, but have also created a new social network. Many of us have agreed to continue swimming and meeting on a Thursday, which I feel so grateful for. Access to these programmes, is crucial, I would even go as far as to say life changing. It has broadened my horizons and is giving me opportunities alongside therapy and medication to support my own health and well-being. I can only hope that more and more people are lucky enough to get this experience in the future.”
Anne’s story
Anne's story is both moving and powerful. She was adamant that she share it in the hope it could help someone else going through tough times. We know it will. It is a brave and selfless thing to do, but then we are not surprised as we know Anne and she is an amazing woman. Click here to read her full story.
Please note this may be a triggering read for some.
How to get involved
If you have been suffering with mental or physical condition for a long time and you think this will help, then you can ask to be referred by your GP or social prescriber at your health centre. (Please note not every GP in the Bristol area knows about us yet!) We currently run a women only session on a Thursday morning, but our Henleaze session (Tuesday mornings) is open to all genders. Participants are not required to be amazing swimmers as this is about dips not distance, however we recommend you be able to swim a minimum of 25m. The lake is 1.5m deep all the way round so most people can touch the bottom.
If you are someone just looking for a social group, we run intro to cold water workshops in the autumn and winter and intro to open water swimming workshops in the spring and summer. These are affordable mornings where you learn about all the skills and we connect you with likeminded people who you can swim with. We also run a social swim group for women at 10-11.30am up at West Country Water Park term times, you need to book directly with the lake here.
Please note: Referrals are currently OPEN!
If you are a social prescriber or health care professional looking to refer people in. Please email referrals@openmindsactive.org and we will send through an information pack. We have 3 intakes a each year:
2024 dates:
Group 1 – 18/04 – 23/05 (6 weeks)
Group 2 - 06/06 - 25/07 (8 weeks)
Group 3 - 12/09 - 17/10 (6 weeks)
SELF REFERRAL NEW For 2024 - Limited spaces. We are part of a national study with the University of Portsmouth called Outside2. This study looks at how outdoor swimming can benefit those struggling with depression and anxiety. There is an 8 week programme starting June 6th that people can self refer into. You must register through this website and not via our normal channels :)
Green Therapy - Wild yoga.
Our social prescribing yoga programmes are inclusive and welcoming using green spaces all over the city. Our team are passionate about encouraging gentle movement and mindfulness surrounded by nature. We work with community groups to provide new experiences to those who have never experienced yoga before, as well as provide social prescribing programmes linked to inner city health centres across Bristol.
Currently no programmes available please watch this space for updates
One participant shares her powerful story
“Wild swimming has taught me to relax and enjoy life again, after working pretty much full time whilst studying a course for 3 years at the same time, I lost the ability to relax, chill and have fun. Going into lockdown soon after I finished the course I felt very isolated living on my own, lost contact with friends and struggled greatly with my mental health, allowing certain medical issues to control my life.
Coming to the group I enjoy it for social aspect, meeting new people, getting out more and socialising not just with the same few work people/ close family. If you are not careful in life you always end up meeting the same kind of people, it’s good to meet different people.
The beauty of the group is that everyone is in different circumstances and are there for different reasons. Everyone in the group is so lovely and supportive if you are having a wobbly moment, everyone just makes you feel loved and supported and asks no questions. No one is judging each other. There is no competition in the group, it is more just pushing yourself and cheering each other on to swim a bit better/more than your last session, there is no pressure.
I am finding the sessions as a way of escaping from everything, life but mainly work, I find it incredibly hard to switch off from work. When I am swimming, I am just in my own little bubble - nothing else matters. Medical issues have severely knocked my confidence over the past few years, but this supportive space is teaching me to learn to live with my issues and accept them. Whilst I have learned new swimming tips, I have also learned breathing techniques which help me in everyday life not just in the water.
The way a wild swim session makes me feel is so amazing, when I get out the water my whole body feels completely relaxed and chilled out. My limbs feel quite heavy but also tingling in a good sort of way, I feel very spaced out in my own little world. It is the best feeling ever - Who needs drugs!”
