Culture and nature for Carer wellbeing

“What matters to you? How are you going to work differently? Are you having great conversations? How can we support you to work differently?”

These words open every It’s All About People podcast, and perfectly capture the spirit of the Culture and Nature for Health and Wellbeing project in Lincolnshire.

Born from the belief that creativity, heritage, and the natural world are not “nice-to-have extras” but essential to wellbeing, this project set out to support unpaid carers in ways that felt personal, human, and genuinely restorative. What followed was not simply a series of workshops, but a reawakening - of identity, creativity, confidence, and connection.

We sat down with floral artist Rachel Petheram and Historic Environment Officer Sarah Grundy to explore this pioneering project.

The Lincolnshire Culture and Nature for Health and Wellbeing project

The Lincolnshire Culture and Nature for Health and Wellbeing project is a co-produced initiative designed to improve the mental health and well-being of unpaid carers by connecting them with local nature, arts, and heritage. This project is part of a broader "creative health" movement in the region, aimed at reducing social isolation and alleviating stress. 

Key Aspects of the Project:

• Focus on unpaid Carers: The project addresses high rates of burnout among carers by offering structured, free monthly activities (e.g., foraging, printmaking) to provide necessary respite and improve resilience.
• Partnership approach: The project is a collaboration between Lincolnshire County Council, Age UK Lincolnshire (for respite care), Every-One (co-production workshops), and the University of Lincoln (evaluation).
• Location: Activities were hosted in natural and historic settings, specifically using the buildings and gardens of Doddington Hall.

DOWNLOAD the Lincolnshire Culture and Nature for Health and Wellbeing project report

DOWNLOAD the Lincolnshire Culture and Nature for Health and Wellbeing Project Evaluation Report

Starting with people, not assumptions

From the outset, the Lincolnshire Culture and Nature for Health and Wellbeing project resisted a one-size-fits-all model. Instead, it asked carers directly what they needed.

As Sarah explained, the team “didn’t go into this with any assumptions about what carers wanted and what they needed”

Through co-production workshops, carers shaped everything from the timing of sessions to transport and respite arrangements.

This wasn’t just a consultation, it was a collaboration.

Sessions were scheduled from 10.30am to 2.30pm, offering a meaningful four-hour window for carers to step out of their daily demands. Transport was arranged and funded. Wraparound respite care was provided in partnership with Age UK. Every practical barrier that could be removed, was.

But crucially, the team also recognised psychological barriers.

Rachel: “There was still that reluctance. “That sounds lovely, but I just can’t possibly… I couldn’t possibly do that.””

Carers often feel guilt about prioritising themselves. A strengths-based approach acknowledges that reality without judgement, and gently creates permission to step into something different.

More than an activity: Forming a relationship with place

Hosted at Doddington Hall, the workshops unfolded across the seasons. This wasn’t accidental. The garden itself - ancient trees, Autumn colour, Winter beauty, Springtim snowdrops and blossom - became part of the therapeutic experience.

Rachel: “It’s not just about being outside. It’s about forming a relationship with a place, forming a relationship with the trees… so you feel part of something bigger.”

Participants foraged, created bark rubbings, made wreaths, practised eco-printing and floristry. They kept seasonal journals, pressing flowers and documenting their encounters. The creative output mattered, but it wasn’t the point.

The point was noticing. Slowing down. Greeting a tree. Seeing beauty. Reclaiming attention.

In a world where carers often live in constant vigilance and responsibility, that shift is profound.

Rediscovering identity: “I’m not defined by being a carer”

Perhaps the most powerful theme to emerge was identity.

Caring can consume every waking hour. Over time, it can eclipse a person’s sense of self. As Rachel described, many participants arrived “so exhausted and really tired, really just lost… in terms of their identity.”

An evaluation of the project, led by the University of Lincoln, captured this beautifully. One participant wrote:

“It took me away from that me. I came away really refreshed, invigorated and, you know, just...I can conquer the world now.”

Another reflected:

“Who am I now? I don’t know yet, but I feel this has been a very powerful and positive part of my journey to freedom… a journey back to myself, to my creative nature, which has lain dormant for many years.”

And with humour and pride:

“I’m not defined by being a carer. I’m now defined as being [name] who makes wacky wreaths.”

This is strengths-based practice in action. It doesn’t focus on deficits or stress alone. It recognises inherent creativity, capability and potential, even when individuals can’t yet see it in themselves.

Rachel: “You are inherently creative. If you are a human being, you are inherently creative.”

The project gave participants permission to rediscover that truth.

Confidence, pride, and permission to play

Over the course of the project, subtle but powerful shifts became visible.

Confidence grew. People who had been quiet began initiating conversations. One participant bought materials used in the workshops and began creating at home. He even enrolled on an Open University degree.

At the end of the programme, a celebration event transformed the gallery at Doddington into a professional exhibition space. Friends and family attended.

Rachel: “The sense of pride… walking into a gallery space and seeing their work curated on the walls was extraordinary.”

For carers used to invisibility, that public recognition mattered.

It wasn’t about producing “perfect” art. In fact, the sessions intentionally avoided pressure.

Rachel: “It wasn’t a moan fest. It was a laugh.”

Play returned. Fun returned. That alone can be transformative.

Prevention, not crisis: The case for value

When commissioners ask whether this kind of work represents value for money, Sarah is clear.

“If you’re going to talk in sort of cold, pure money terms, I would suggest that this in the long run saves an awful lot of money… It’s preventative.”

By strengthening resilience and wellbeing, projects like this can reduce the likelihood of carers reaching crisis point, where clinical or mental health intervention becomes necessary.

But beyond economics lies something deeper.

“This is really cheap in terms of money, but really, really valuable in terms of impact.”

In other words: small investment, enormous human return.

The power of partnership

Another defining theme of the project was collaboration. Local authority teams, artists, voluntary organisations, and researchers worked together seamlessly.

Sarah: “It is one of the best projects I’ve ever worked on.”

Rachel, usually a sole trader, found the teamwork transformational: “I couldn’t have felt more supported.”

This cross-sector approach is central to sustainable, strengths-based care. Artists bring creativity and connection. Local authorities bring infrastructure and reach. Voluntary organisations bring trust and specialist support. Researchers bring evidence.

Together, they create something greater than any could alone.

Towards sustainable, ‘business-as-usual’ care

Yet one challenge remains: sustainability.

Project funding enabled innovation, but short-term funding also risks short-term impact. As Sarah noted, when funding ends, “you have to stop”

And that can be destabilising for participants.

The ambition now is to move from pilot to practice, and to make this kind of preventative, creative wellbeing support “business as usual.”

That means convincing policymakers that investing early in personalised, strengths-based care isn’t an optional extra. It’s essential infrastructure.

Conclusion: Reclaiming the whole person

At its heart, the Lincolnshire Culture and Nature for Health and Wellbeing project was simply about people.

It was about giving carers time, space and permission to reconnect with themselves. About recognising their creativity, not just their responsibilities. About removing barriers, both practical and emotional, so they could say yes to something nourishing.

When one participant’s daughter wrote that “the difference it has made is astonishing”, it confirmed what everyone involved already sensed: this work matters.

Personalised, strengths-based care doesn’t start with what’s wrong. It starts with what’s possible. It asks what matters to you. It honours identity beyond roles. It builds connection - to nature, to others, to self.

And as this project proves, when we truly put people at the centre, extraordinary things can blossom.