Project: The Access Place

Revitalisation work at The Access Place has turned a neglected area into a greenspace and garden for both staff and service users.

Turning neglected spaces into vibrant greenspaces, provides opportunities for both staff and service users to engage in activities proven to enhance mental and physical health. For staff, it means having a resource to improve patient care. Outdoor spaces have proven to enhance recovery, reduce stress and foster a healthier environment.

Our involvement in this project, alongside partners like Cyrenians and Groundswell, included offering funding and advice. It’s a commitment to equity in access to greenspaces. The University of Edinburgh’s Groundswell project, created a film that highlighted the effective intervention strategies used at Access Place. This film introduces a framework named “6 Steps to Quality Intervention Development”, also known as 6SQuID. This evidence-based framework serves as a practical guide for developing interventions, activities or programs. It aids in understanding problems, pinpointing areas that require change, planning and implementing solutions and collecting evidence of their effectiveness.

The application of the 6SQuID framework enabled Access Place to transform an abandoned space into a greenspace and garden, integrating activities like gardening, nature walks, and green prescribing, granting users access to the benefits of the outdoors. Ensuring these spaces offer health and wellbeing advantages to everyone, particularly those who stand to benefit most.