Children prescribed gardening and fishing to tackle loneliness

11 comments

1. Ah yes, fishing and gardening those well known group activities, might as well prescribe reading a book

2. If this leads to better outcomes for children – seems like a good idea.

3. For adults, I understand that saunas have been prescribed, the heat and removal of toxins benefiting certain health conditions.

4. I’ve got no problems with this. Generally as a group.

   I was fortunate enough to get in a 16 week funded princes trust programme when I was 16-17, which allowed me to try the outdoors working with groups, some decorating stuff as part of a community project to spruce up a place that needed it etc etc .

   Spend a few years working with groups of all ages in the outdoors at an outdoor adventure centre. Enjoyed that role very very much. Especially taking inner city kids who’d never really been to the country side ever in their life , or the kids that had reputation for being trouble .

   Putting them in a new environment and allowing them to experience something so different than what they were used to can be so life transforming for many of them .

5. I really enjoy fishing. You’ll see people of all ages and abilities doing it – and it’s easy to start up a bit of conversation “Caught anything yet?” being the usual opener.

6. Ban smart phones for under 16s and this problem would be greatly diminished.

7. Loneliness is very hard on kids. I remember as a teenager and young adult that my social struggles were a source of a lot of pain. As an adult in his thirties I thankfully got over this and don’t experience loneliness anymore. Hopefully this initiative helps.

8. Anyone criticising the fundamental concept of this doesn’t understand social prescribing.

   We have a mental health crisis in the UK. It’s multifactorial and is driven by a myriad of factors. Social prescribing aims to address the underlying drivers of this. Social isolation is really damaging for young people and adults. The social support structures such as youth groups, clubs and community centers have been destroyed by the current government. As well as this our fervent capitalist and consumerist society compounds some of these factors. Then there is the dismal public services available. If someone is depressed because their house is unsafe, their health is deteriorating and they are socially isolated then sertraline just won’t fix that.

   Social prescribing aims to address the underlying issues, rather than medicalise the human response to the situation.

9. Well it’s better than sending them to Tavistock to be mutilated

10. Why not just bring back youth centres?

    The one thing that was a safe haven for you adults to go to and speak to trained councillors who are well versed in mental health.

    I was in a similar position and went to a place called Connextions when I was in secondary school for anger management, bullying etc and generally childhood trauma but felt it was beneficial.

11. I’ve got a cunning idea, as well as national service for 18 year olds, we can also have ‘Junior National Service’.

    Maybe a nice catchy name like the Rishi Youth.

    That’ll keep them occupied and working as a group.