Better Lives with Green Space Volunteering

The pleasure of summer volunteering in Camden's green spaces! Please remember to refer people to the Camden Green Gym, as part of the social prescribing process which aims to improve people's physical health and mental wellbeing.

We have a variety of workshops running to help you gain or build on your skills. This will be as part of our regular volunteering session running from 10:45am-2pm. Please let us know (via our email [email protected]) if you and/or your clients would like to come along and learn something new!

Above: workshop schedule 2018/19.

Being in its tenth year, the Camden Green Gym is holding a photo competition for its Camden Green Gym volunteers of landscape, plant or wildlife images, which must have been taken on sites where Camden Green Gym have worked over the past ten years. The competition is open to all Camden Green Gym volunteers who have ever been to any of our Camden Green Gym sessions. Volunteers can submit up to three photos to [email protected] by the 30th September 2018 deadline. The winner will be selected by popular volunteer vote from a shortlist in October, and announced at the Camden Green Gym 10th anniversary celebration at Waterlow Park on Tues 16th October.

Above: Volunteers enjoying themselves in Regent's Park!

TCV's Green Gym provides opportunities for everyone to get active, improve their mood, and enhance health and wellbeing.Our wellbeing depends on spending rewarding and enjoyable time outdoors in nature and joining in with like-minded people. Our volunteers have been actively planting trees and getting our many green spaces in Camden ready for spring.

TCV's award winning @TCVGreenGym which has been running for over 20 years has received funding from the @BigLotteryFund working with @NHSEngland to develop how #SocialPrescribing can be used by clinicians! This is excellent news and will help TCV to continue the positive impact it has on physical and mental health through outdoor practical projects.

“Using National Lottery funding, TCV will work to improve access to social activities that clinicians have identified as beneficial to our health and wellbeing, and develop a consistent way to measure their impact so that social prescribing can become even smarter and better-targeted in the longer-term.” - Derek Bardowell, Senior Head of UK Funding at the Big Lottery Fund.

“We’re delighted to be working with The Conservation Volunteers on this important programme. Their work in developing a Quality Assurance Framework for social prescribing schemes will be extremely helpful in giving GPs the confidence to refer people with wider social needs to community projects." - Bev Taylor, Social Prescribing Strategy and Innovation Directorate at NHS England.

Join in, feel good! Volunteer with the Camden Green Gym!

TCV Camden Green Gym

Tuesdays and Thursdays: 10:45am - 2pm Our projects cover a wide range of activities from practical conservation of existing habitats, to planting new wildlife gardens, woodland maintenance, tree planting, wildflower planting, working in orchards and developing community gardens in sites across Camden.

Our volunteering locations vary each week and include: Regents Park, St Andrews Gardens, Waterlow Park, Cemetery, Holly Lodge, Spedan Close, Ingestre Wood and Cantelowes Gardens and more!

Green Gyms are open to everyone to attend. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and sturdy footwear. TCV provides all necessary tools as well as refreshments during a daily tea break!

For more information and directions for each of these sites please visit the website : https://www.tcv.org.uk/london/green-gym- london/camden-green-gym Alternatively call: 07768 710 359 / 07768 421 881 or email: [email protected]

West Hampstead Green Gym Independent volunteer-led community volunteering group Fridays: 10:45am - 2pm At the projects include practical management of woodlands and orchards.

Westbere Copse Exit Kilburn Underground Station onto Shoot-up Hill. After approx. 5-10 mins walk take a right onto Minster Road and find the Local Nature Reserve on the corner of Westbere Road and Minster Road. Go down the steps and meet inside the enclosed area on your left (NW2 3RD). or Jane Evans Nature Reserve Exit Kilburn Underground Station onto Shoot-up Hill. After approx. 5-10mins walk take a right onto Minster Road and meet inside the green space on your right before crossing the railway, just after #21 Minster Road (NW2 3SE)

For more information Email: [email protected], call: 07740 899 689

Belsize Green Gym Independent volunteer-led community volunteering group Currently 2nd and 3rd Sunday of every month: 11am - 2pm Volunteers meet twice a month to carry out practical woodland habitat management. Belsize Wood / Belsize Sensory Garden Meet at Belsize Sensory Garden, behind Tube station. Exiting the station, take a double right. Access is through the blue gate in the corner on your right before you get to the Globe Tennis Club. For more information, please contact: [email protected]

Sunnyside Green Gym

(formerly Islington Green Gym - now run by Aquaterra) To be confirmed - Mondays: 10.45am - 2pm This is an on-going project to assist Sunnyside Community Garden in renovating their peace gardens, wildlife pond and picnic area. Sunnyside Community Garden Meeting Point is Sunnyside Community Gardens, Hazelville Road, Islington. Walking away from Archway Station, head south-east along St John's Way; the community garden is on Hazelville Road opposite the junction of st John's Way and Hazelville Road (N19 3LX). For more information please visit: https://www.tcv.org.uk/london/green-gym-london/islington-green-gym Or contact Trudi at: [email protected], 07768 421881

Oasis Green Gym Independent volunteer-led community volunteering group 1st Saturday of every month: 10:30am - 1:30pm The Oasis Green Gym focuses on fun food growing projects.

Oasis Garden Meeting point is in the Oasis Garden which is located by the pool, within the Oasis Sports Centre, 32 Endell St, (WC2H 9AG).

Contact: [email protected] or facebook.com/oasisgreengymgardening