This summer, Our GHTV beneficiaries have been actively engaged in a community-led research project that sought to understand the impact of nature and healthy eating habits on mental health and wellbeing.

Earlier this year we were successful in securing a grant that allowed our beneficiaries to learn new skills, build their confidence and produce an interesting piece of community research on the importance of good nutrition for mental health and wellbeing. The scheme, run by The Ideas Fund (part of the British Science Association – BSA) and funded by Wellcome, offered our beneficiaries a unique opportunity to run their own research project and present the findings in an interesting and engaging way.

Our beneficiaries discovered that there is often a deep emotional attachment to diet and eating, with long-standing habits passed down through generations. The response to questions about food and nutrition varied by gender, highlighting the need for tailored approaches. The interviews also unveiled the challenges faced by many, particularly those on a tight budget, in pursuing a healthy diet.

An unexpected but wonderful revelation was that more people were interested in gardening and had access to gardens than had previously been expected by the research team!

Thanks to the project grant, beneficiaries also had the opportunity to take part in expert-led nutrition sessions to enhance their own understanding of how good nutrition impacts specific health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Importantly, they learned that dietary changes could lead to reduced reliance on certain medications, complimenting the view of the charity, which maintains a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, recognising the importance of both nutrition and medication.

In the final stage of the project, our beneficiaries actively participated in creating a video that succinctly captures GHTV’s work. So successful was the outcome, that the video has proven to be an effective promotional tool for the future, capturing the essence of the charity, our aims and our impact.

This community-led research project served as a testing phase for a larger endeavour. Successful projects in the scheme will have the opportunity to bid for a larger grant, extending their research to a wider audience… and we hope to be part of that second phase.

GHTV is immensely proud of the dedication and enthusiasm our beneficiaries have displayed throughout this project. Their contributions have added depth to our understanding of the relationship between nature, nutrition, and mental wellbeing. We look forward to sharing further updates as this exciting journey unfolds.

If you’d like to see the video, take a look at our ‘what we do‘ page on the website.