‘Green Happy Cafe’ to encourage people to enjoy the great outdoors is coming to Northampton

A historic attraction and green space in Northampton will soon be home to a ‘Green Happy Cafe’, which encourages social prescribing and aims to help residents keep a check on their mental and physical wellbeing.

Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust has been awarded £50,000 of funding from the Thriving Communities Fund, which is supporting projects that address issues people face as a result of Covi-19, through innovative social prescribing, helping people to stay connected and maintain their health and wellbeing.

Through green routes, park activities and a wellbeing app, the cafe aims to improve awareness and access to nature and the outdoors.

A number of other organisations including Action for Happiness Northamptonshire, Warts and All Theatre, The General Practice Alliance Federation, Northampton Leisure Trust, and the University of Northampton will work with the trust to help communities through the programme.

Based on Action for Happiness’ ‘Ten Keys to Happier Living’, the project is aiming to reach and improve the health of up to 3000 people through arts, culture, and physical activities utilising green and heritage spaces.

Dr David Smart, clinical director for The General Practice Alliance Federation said: “As a GP of 30 years I know the value of exercise in nature with others.

“The Ten Keys to Happier Living will really come alive in such a beautiful setting, and resources and courses developed can be shared with other green spaces across the town.”

The programme will focus on arts and culture experiences, community decision making, volunteer training, social groups to form relationships, a variety of exercise classes and physical activities, in order to reach a goal of increasing the health of the town’s population and reducing healthcare utilisation.

Richard Clinton, chief executive of Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust, said: “We’re delighted to receive this funding to establish a social prescribing hub in a much-loved green space in Northamptonshire.

“This project will provide greater awareness of green social prescribing, and through a co-creation model it will deliver a range of activities and programmes to our communities and practitioners; connecting more people with nature and heritage, post-lockdown and for years to come.”

Christopher Elmer-Gorry, Artistic Director and CEO of Warts and All Theatre, added: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to create a programme of activity that is co-designed and embeds individuals in active decision making.

“By shaping wellbeing activities that truly reflects what the community want and need, we will ensure that communities have an active voice in the creation of the programme.

“This approach will in turn enable the community to thrive, celebrate its success and own the impact.”

The project will be under a period of development for around three months, so activities are expected to start in the summer.

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