A project helping people live greener and healthier lives is drawing to a close in March.
Green and Healthy Frome (GHF) will end as funding for the project comes to an end. It has seen a partnership between Edventure Frome, Frome Medical Practice and Frome Town Council, supporting a shift in how health, wellbeing and climate action are understood and lived in Frome.
From nature-based mental health support and greener homes to reuse and repair projects, supporting local food to active travel and swapping out plastic period products for less toxic options, the project has shown what is possible when people and organisations work together in new ways.
The Green and Healthy Frome team said, “Having counted 24,800 connections through the Green and Healthy Frome projects as a whole and with individual project successes like ‘Show Me Your Meds’, where the work saved the NHS £165,957 over a seven-month period and led to 5,350 fewer prescribed items, which was a savings of 96,421kg CO2e.”
Crucially, while the funded phase is coming to an end, many of the services, activities and forms of support developed through Green and Healthy Frome will continue.
The ideas, skills, knowledge and relationships built through the programme are now woven into local organisations, networks and community groups, supporting a healthier, greener and more connected Frome for the long term.
The Green and Healthy Frome team said, “This was never about a single project lasting forever. It was about helping something real to grow – building confidence, collaboration and new ways of working that could carry on well beyond the funding. That’s what we’re seeing now.
“This moment marks an exciting new era rather than a goodbye. What’s been grown together is already flourishing – in daily choices, shared spaces, and the many organisations continuing the work.”
As the project moves into this next phase, there is a strong emphasis on local ownership. Residents are encouraged to keep engaging with the services and activities that matter to them, connect with like-minded groups and explore the growing range of resources available through the Green and Healthy Frome website, and take advantage of the events that continue until 31st March.
Pictured: A Green and Healthy Frome gathering
