Blenheim Palace is encouraging all to take a ‘wellbeing walk’ to mark World Mental Health Day (10 October) as it highlights the positive impact of social prescribing and the natural environment on mental health and wellbeing. ‘Britain’s Greatest Palace’ is committed to creating accessible, nature based and health and wellbeing initiatives through its ‘Innovation Partnership’ for all of its visitors and staff.
Across its various businesses – palace, estate and property – it has introduced a number of initiatives and programmes as part of a campaign to create a healthy workplace environment.
Blenheim, its property arm Blenheim Estate Homes and long standing development partner Pye Homes, have introduced a wellbeing ambassador programme for staff, and have a new drop in 'tea and chat' session in their employee hub. They also have a dedicated wellbeing coach Ruth Chaloner, a trained psychotherapist that supports all staff with their mental health and provides mentoring, coaching and training. Ruth supports and trains a team of 24 wellbeing ambassadors who are on hand to offer advice and reminders about how to reach out for support.
Research is consistently supporting the idea that spending time in nature can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while enhancing overall emotional resilience. This October, Blenheim Palace is encouraging people to immerse themselves in nature within its 2000 acres of Parkland and Gardens with a variety of wellbeing walks for all abilities. The routes include The Formal Gardens, The Secret Garden, The Lakeside and Cascades, The Queen Pool, The Park Perimeter and the Column of Victory View.
Social prescribing, which connects individuals with non clinical support in the community, has gained recognition as an approach to improving mental health. Blenheim Palace’s initiative to provide time on the estate as a legitimate treatment to improve physical and mental health focuses on harnessing the therapeutic power of nature, and championing outdoor activities, from mindful walks in the park and gardens to guided group sessions that foster social connections.
The social prescribing scheme also includes the UNESCO World heritage site partnering with Aspire, an Oxfordshire based charity supporting homeless and disadvantaged individuals, Eden Project and the University of Oxford on the project which was funded by Research England.
For those further afield, walkers can be transported to the palace by listening to the Spotify wellbeing podcast series ‘Being at Blenheim’. These were recorded in peaceful spots from several of the above estate walks including Bladon Bridge, The Secret Garden, The Cascades, High Park and at the edge of the lake by the famous Harry Potter tree.
Roy Cox, managing director – estates, said: ‘At Blenheim Palace, we believe in the transformative power of nature to promote mental health and wellbeing. We are working to create opportunities for everyone to experience the benefits of spending time outdoors, whether that is through social prescribing or simply enjoying the natural beauty of the estate.’
Ruth Chaloner, wellbeing coach, added: ‘We passionately believe that as a business, it is crucial to support our staff with their mental health. We live in a challenging world at the moment and our people sometimes bring those challenges to work with them. By ensuring we have the skills to help people and, in particular, to understand and have an awareness of the signs of a developing issue, we can practice preventative care and robust support for our people in their time of need.’rf
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