CAMHS Goes Wild! awarded funding from NHS Charities Together
The Trust's CAMHS Goes Wild! project has been awarded £150,000 from NHS Charities Together. This is for their vital work in offering nature-based lifestyle medicine interventions for young people aged between 14 and 17.
The project is one of six across the UK to receive a share of £825,000 in funding from NHS Charities Together. This will help provide support for children and young people with mental health problems. It also ensures that they are not forgotten while they wait for the care they need.
Every project is built on fairness and kindness. It makes sure support reaches young people who often feel unheard or overlooked.
CAMHS Goes Wild! is co-delivered with Newquay Orchard. This is a community space in the centre of Newquay. It provides education, mental health services, community events, and other services.
Dr Beth Chapman, Locum Consultant Psychiatrist, CAMHS, has played a key role in the development of CAMHS Goes Wild!
She says:
"I am really thrilled that we have been awarded this funding to deliver an innovative intervention with Newquay Orchard for our children and young people. Working in a nature-based way will bring additional health and wellbeing benefits for our children, young people, and our staff.
"The NIHR (National Institute for Health and Social Care Research) supported me through the Mental Health Research Initiative to research the views of our staff and young people around nature-based care. Those taking part told us that they think there could be a wide range of benefits, not just limited to mental health.
"Our project also focusses on the 6 pillars of lifestyle medicine. Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based approach to treating and preventing illness by setting goals around physical activity, food and nutrition, sleep, healthy relationships, minimising harmful substances and managing stress. These can often be forgotten but are essential for us all for health creation and the management of ill health.
"We are aiming to offer nature-based approaches and lifestyle medicine across CAMHS services as we know this can provide helpful and individualised support."
Molly Jenkins, Clinical Associate Psychologist for Mid Cornwall CAMHS, says:
"We're so pleased to be awarded this funding. It enables us to deliver a nature-based lifestyle medicine programme. It is co-created and co-delivered with Newquay Orchard. We will be consulting with young people from the start to create meaningful outcomes over the next two years.
"We look forward to extending our work with Newquay Orchard. They are a valued partner with deep community roots. It will help us to reach young people who might otherwise fall through service gaps. This includes those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage and those approaching transitions to adult services.
"The 8-week rolling programme will include evidence-based strategies. This is around movement, sleep, nutrition, minimising harmful substances, stress reduction, and healthy relationships. It will also connect young people directly to lasting community assets.
"The collaboration will help young people to better understand how inequalities impact their health. It gives them practical tools and knowledge to improve their wellbeing whilst demonstrating what's possible when working collaboratively to address health inequalities at a community level."
Charlotte Hill, Chief Executive of Newquay Orchard, says:
"We are delighted to be sharing this opportunity with our CAMHS colleagues.
"Supporting young people to experience the benefits of the outdoors and nature to enhance their health and wellbeing can be truly life changing. Offering skills and confidence that help them stay well throughout life.
"We are extremely grateful to the fund for recognising the potential of this collaboration and the positive impact it can create for young people."
Healthcare inequalities can have a major impact on health. It affects quality of life and places extra pressures on health and care services. Our health during childhood can define health in later life. Access to quality healthcare for children and young people is essential. It ensures all young people have the opportunity to live well.
Ellie Orton OBE, Chief Executive at NHS Charities Together, says:
"A child's health shouldn't be determined by where they're born. But sadly, that's still the reality for too many families in the UK. Through programmes like this one, NHS charities are helping to break down the barriers young people face in accessing care. We can give more children the chance to grow up healthy and ready to thrive."