Aims and Approach
GreenSPring aimed to:
- develop a Derbyshire-wide collaborative framework to bring existing and new partners together to create a sustainable scaled–up model that better connects social prescribers and providers, accelerating and expanding the work, so more people can be helped to access local greenspaces
- learn lessons about shared policy and delivery and identify barriers, ways of improving outcomes for citizens
- create a referral ready sector with capacity and confidence to deliver this.
During the first phase of the work, and following interviews and interactions with local stakeholders, a series of challenges and key concepts emerged and formed the basis of the ‘test and learn’ work.
The subsequent commissioned testing work in each of the districts and boroughs was developed iteratively, based on insight and contributions from relevant stakeholders. Testing was carried out in the following areas:
| ToC element | Nine site testing/summary |
| 1. Funding of green providers (sustainability, availability, accessibility) | Craftwood CIC (AV); Grow Outside CIC(AV); Whispering Trees CIC (SE) about the local system/connections; PHBs; and Provider Collaborative modelling. |
| 2. Political will and/or strategic leadership 2a. Vision and strategy | Leadership/investment, relating to commissioners. |
| 3. Availability of appropriate green providers | Buxton Civic Association (HP); High Peak; Derby City, North East Derbyshire; and Wellies CIC/Wild Roots CIC (DD). |
| 4. Alignment of organisational structures (eg policy objectives, governance, record keeping) | Bolsover |
| 5. Evidence for GSP efficacy | This was not tested (intentionally), except through wellbeing measures in each piece of work, which led to the quantitative data summary. |
| 6. Network of providers, link workers, referrers and funders (existence and connectedness) | Spiral Arts (Derby City) |
| 7. Mutual understanding and awareness of different parts of the system and how they operate | Derbyshire Wildlife Trust at Kingsway (Derby City) and social prescriber training session (Sheffield Wildlife Trust) (county-wide). |
| 8. Referrals to GSP (extent and appropriateness) | Community Growth CIC (Chesterfield)(appropriateness); Elephant Rooms CIC (Erewash)(extent); Hunloke Community Garden (Chesterfield)(both); and referral testing DWT/SDDC’s Environmental Education Project/Grow Outside (Derby City/SD/HP). |
| 8a. Inequalities in access to nature | SDDC’s EEP (SD) |
| 9. Engagement of users in GSP processes | Green Thyme/Derby West Indian Community Association (Derby City); EEP (SD); and lived experience work. |
| 10. Level of retention/drop-out of users in the GSP system at different points in the pathway | Buddying (AV) |
Find out more about the GreenSPring pilot work in this film.