Blenheim Palace promotes 'wellbeing walks' for mental health

The palace, near Woodstock, has made the suggestion to mark World Mental Health Day, which falls on October 10.

Roy Cox, the managing director of estates, said: "At Blenheim Palace, we believe in the transformative power of nature to promote mental health and wellbeing.

"We’re working to create opportunities for everyone to experience the benefits of spending time outdoors, whether that’s through social prescribing or simply enjoying the natural beauty of the estate."

Research has consistently shown spending time in nature can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while improving emotional resilience.

Blenheim Palace is promoting the benefits of nature to mark World Mental Health Day (Image: Blenheim Palace) This October, Blenheim Palace is encouraging people to immerse themselves in nature within its 2,000 acres of parkland and gardens with a variety of wellbeing walks.

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 palace said it is "committed" to creating accessible, nature-based health and wellbeing initiatives for its visitors and staff through its Blenheim Innovation Partnership.

Across its businesses, including the estate and property sections, Blenheim has introduced a range of initiatives in a bid to create a healthy workplace environment.

Blenheim's property arm, Blenheim Estate Homes, and its long-standing development partner, Pye Homes, have introduced a new drop-in 'tea and chat' session in the employee hub and a dedicated wellbeing coach, Ruth Chaloner.

Ms Chaloner, a trained psychotherapist, supports all staff with their mental health and provides mentoring, coaching, and training.

She said: “We passionately believe that as a business, it’s 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.”

The palace's social prescribing scheme also includes the site partnering with Aspire, a charity supporting homeless and disadvantaged individuals, Eden Project, and the University of Oxford.