Green social prescribing and churchyards

Churchyards are a profound mix of grief, love, calm, nature and beauty.  They represent a means to retain connections with those who have died and, in the Christian tradition, to hope for resurrection. They reflect community identity, which exists alongside the busy-ness of the world outside the churchyard walls. The prayers of centuries have infused them, in the same way as they have for church buildings, with peace and tranquillity. In an urban context, they are often one of the only accessible green spaces available.

It's therefore interesting to see in the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affair's Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 a recognition of the power of nature in improving health and wellbeing. The Government commits to “increase people’s time spent in nature for physical activity and nature-based activities to support both physical and mental health”.  This is a commitment to ensure everyone has access to green or blue spaces within a 15-minute walk from home.  

This is where churchyards come in. Many churches (not just Church of England) have open or closed burial grounds that are freely accessible to the public. The Church of England actively recognises the rich variety of nature that exists in these spaces. In fact, it looks to promote the ecological diversity of these spaces, becoming significant contributors to local ecosystems and carbon storage, encouraging active management.  

These spaces should therefore be obvious means by which the Government's commitments can be met in part. Whilst not all churchyards are extensive, they still provide that space and access to nature that might not otherwise be available. There are estimated to be around 19,000 Church of England burial grounds which could provide a huge resource to local NHS Trusts. Given the Government's commitment in the Civil Society Covenant to recognise the centrality of faith  groups as key partners for national renewal, I would hope there would be conversations about how churchyards could be actively used for green social prescribing. It seems to me an easy win!