Developing the Health and Wellbeing programme further, we teamed up with Adferiad Recovery and specifically the Early Intervention Team within Adferiad on a pilot project, to offer young people between the ages of 18-34 the opportunity to explore the outdoors through a Land to Water Social Prescribing programme.
Working closely with two local providers , the programme sessions were based on research around ecotherapy, a formal type of therapeutic treatment which involves doing outdoor activities in nature, and included cold water immersion and all the benefits this includes. The programme gave participants the opportunity to learn about nature and their surroundings on land, through bushcraft activities and guided walks, as well as a safe and calming introduction to open water swimming.
A great demonstration of shared learning among our regions, our Hike and Dip sessions have been a huge success.
The benefits of outdoor swimming and cold water immersion are well documented, and the huge rise in the number of people exploring the activity gave us an idea to get even more people interested.
Our Hike and Dip sessions, which started in Pembrokeshire and have now spread as far as Ayrshire, involve opportunities to explore beautiful walks and be guided through those first tentative steps into open water dipping. The physical and mental health benefits gained from the activity can be hugely beneficial.
