News

New Boat is arriving soon!

Laura Viney

We are delighted to announce that we have enough funding to buy a boat. It is a little smaller than the one we were aiming for but is more that sufficient for our project needs. We would like to offer a big thank you to one of our directors, William Howard for agreeing to help us with purchasing the boat hull so that we can start taking people out on trips sooner rather than later 🙂

We are still fundraising for safety accessories, some £4,000 and hope to surmount this final hurdle before the end of the year. Watch this space.

Below are some pictures of an example boat – the same kind but not fitted out exactly as we need.  It seats 10 passengers. 

Please see our donations link on the home page if you would like to help us get out on the water as soon as possible!

The benefits of eco-therapy

Laura Viney

Ecotherapy or “activities in nature settings”, is widely known for its benefits to mental and physical health and our project fits this by providing nature and fishing tours. This gives participants a chance to focus on an activity rather than an illness or a medical condition and along with the health benefits of being outdoors will provide them with a boost to their over all well-being.

There is definite evidence to support the case that rivers including green and blue spaces have a positive impact on mental health conditions. Moreover, they also increase the effectiveness of other interventions applied in these areas 1.

There is specific evidence to show less anxiety, less depression, less mental distress, greater well-being and lower cortisol profiles in green spaces 2.

Similarly, the same applies to blue spaces. One author describes something called a “Blue Mind” , a mental state when on, in or under water which induces therapeutic experiences 3.

Articles:

  1. (“Mental Health Benefits of Waterways,” The centre for Sustainable Healthcare, for the Canal and River Trust, July 2016, Banbury, Oxford)
  2. (“The Importance of Green spaces for mental health”, Barton and Rogerson, Nov 2017, BJ Psych International)
  3. (Blue Mind, Wallace . J. Nichols, July 2014, Hachette Book Group, New York).