Islington & Camden councils are splitting a £667,000 grant from the National Trust and National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Future Parks initiative to make parks a focal point for improving people’s health…

The initiative will see parks re-imagined with early ideas for the project including people taking exercise on referral from doctors or under a ‘social prescribing’ model. They could also be offered help to link-up with park exercise groups and gardening clubs.

Extensive research in the UK and abroad has found strong evidence of the value of parks to combat a range of physical and mental health conditions; ranging from loneliness, depression, obesity and diabetes.

Islington Councillor Janet Burgess said:

“Many of us don’t take full advantage and reap the rewards of getting active in the wonderful spaces on our doorstep. This aims to change that.”