New report highlights success of community nurses' garden-based health projects

New report highlights success of community nurses’ garden-based health projects

The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) is delighted to publish the 2024/2025 report of the NGS Elsie Wagg (Innovation) Scholarships showcasing five innovative projects led by community nurses and funded by the National Garden Scheme. Each project demonstrates the power of gardening to improve health and wellbeing.

The report, which summarizes the final findings from the latest five scholarship recipients, shows the significant positive impact of these initiatives.

Commenting, CEO of the National Garden Scheme, George Plumptre says, “We are immensely proud to support Queen’s Nurses through this unique scholarship programme which helps to promote the health benefits of gardening and garden visiting to a wide cross section of the community and health care settings. This most recent report once again highlights the importance of gardens to health and wellbeing for people of all ages especially those in care homes and nursing homes. It also highlights the ingenuity and commitment of Queen’s Nurses and, as we head towards the National Garden Scheme’s centenary in 2027, reaffirms the joint legacy between us and our founder, the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing.”

Projects spanned from Essex to Lancashire and showed a wide range of benefits, including:

Improved Physical Health: Activities like gardening boosted mobility, balance, and overall physical condition.
Enhanced Mental Wellbeing: Participants experienced improved confidence, reduced stress, and a stronger connection to nature.
Strengthened Community Bonds: Gardens served as a safe, relaxed environment for people to connect and build relationships.
Sustainable and Educational Impact: Projects that focused on growing food reconnected people with food production, promoting sustainable and healthy eating habits.

Read the report here: NGS Elsie Wagg Final Report Summary 2024 2025

Applications are currently being sought for the 2026 Elsie Wagg Scholarship; click here to find out more.