Green Health Routes – North East was a partnership project which the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare and Forestry England delivered together, with funding and support from Sport England. The project had a simple aim: to help people discover easy, welcoming ways to connect with the woodlands and local green spaces on their doorstep.
Walking made welcoming
Working across Chopwell Wood and Guisborough Forest in the North East, together we created a series of clear, accessible walking routes designed to boost everyday movement, confidence and wellbeing. These routes made nature feel easier to reach - from familiar places like GP surgeries, cafes, libraries and high streets right into the heart of the forest.
Why we created Green Health Routes
We know that spending time in green spaces can improve physical and mental health, but many people face barriers, including not knowing where to go, concerns about safety, low confidence, mobility challenges or uncertainty about route difficulty. For those living with health conditions, reduced mobility or anxiety, these barriers can feel even greater.
The Green Health Routes project set out to change this by creating clear, trustworthy routes that start from places people already know and feel comfortable in, making it easier to step outside, build confidence and experience the benefits of nature at a pace that works for them.
What the project involved
Working closely with local residents and 54 stakeholders from 30 organisations, we developed nine walking routes offering a choice of distances, challenge levels and access options in and around Chopwell Wood and Guisborough Forest. Some are gentle, level‑access loops and others take you deeper into the forest or up to beautiful viewpoints.
To help people get started, we produced:
- 7,000 printed maps and posters placed in GP practices, libraries, cafes and community spaces.
- GPS‑enabled routes and audio guides on the Go Jauntly app.
- Downloadable PDFs and virtual walk videos on the NHS Forest website.
- A loyalty card scheme with The Bank Café in Chopwell to encourage regular walking.
Over the course of a year, 73 people joined creative and seasonal events such as photography wellbeing walks and family craft sessions, helping them build confidence and discover new ways to enjoy the outdoors.
Why our walking routes work
The Green Health Routes have been intentionally designed to be:
- simple and welcoming, with clear instructions and accessibility information.
- rooted in community insight, shaped through conversations, drop‑ins and on‑the-ground testing.
- linked to everyday locations, reducing the need for transport.
- supportive of different needs, including anxiety, mobility limitations or low confidence.
- flexible, offering options in both urban and forest areas so activities can continue in all seasons.
One example of success is how one participant recovering from cancer used these routes as a way to rebuild strength step by step, beginning with shorter options before progressing to longer walks.
How Green Health Routes are helping people
Through formal and informal feedback, we know that this project has already made meaningful impact to participants. Benefits include:
- improved wellbeing, with people feeling calmer, restored and more connected to nature.
- greater confidence to explore independently.
- reduced isolation, through low‑pressure sociable events.
- early behaviour change, with people returning for multiple walks and using the routes on their own.
- stronger community capacity, supported through walking kit bags and links to walk‑leader training.
The power of working together
The Green Health Routes project came to life through a powerful partnership between Forestry England, the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare and Sport England.
What is truly making these routes thrive is the way local libraries, GP practices, activity leaders and community groups are embracing them, helping to spark a lasting culture of moving more in the great outdoors.
Their enthusiasm is what will enable more people to discover the forests of the North East - and feel good while they do it!
If you’d like to find out more about the Green Health Routes, please email feelgood@forestryengland.uk
Have your own day out in nature
Ready to feel the health benefits of time spent outdoors yourself? Head to your local forest and connect with nature in your own way.
