Happier Outdoors

Want to feel the benefits of nature in your neighbourhood?

Click here to go straight to our event listings

Are you a professional involved in green and blue social prescribing in Greater London?

Click here to join the London Happier Outdoors Network. It's free!

About Happier Outdoors

Being in nature is good for us. Just two hours a week makes us feel better mentally and physically. Nature can help with depression, stress, anxiety and even dementia. It helps us feel like we belong where we live, and like what we do matters.

There are plenty of chances to connect with nature in London. Just under half of Greater London consists of green or blue space (green is for land, blue is for water). And there are over 200 organisations in the capital, both big and small, helping people spend time in those spaces to benefit their health and wellbeing.

Yet these spaces and organisations often find that people don't know about them. And many Londoners miss chances to enjoy nature on their very own doorsteps.

That's where Happier Outdoors comes in!

Happier Outdoors is a new project delivered by charitable, grassroots and government organisations across London, in partnership with Natural England, the government’s advisory body on England’s natural environment.

We want to show off London's amazing natural spaces, and the equally amazing people who work in them to help others. And we want as many Londoners as possible to have a chance to feel good for free in nature. 

Our first project was the Happier Outdoors Festival in March 2024. 70 organisations offered over 200 free activities spanning every local authority area in London. Those taking part included five London councils; big organisations like Kew Gardens, English Heritage, the National Trust, London Wildlife Trust and The Conservation Volunteers; local parks' friends' groups; and everything in between!

The Festival was just the beginning ….

Many organisations in London offer regular nature-based activities that you can join every week or every month. That's why we're keeping our event listings even after the Festival. Why not check out what's happening in your borough, or explore the wide range of activities on offer? If you have accessibility needs, we've got that covered too!

You don't need to RSVP to most events. Some organisers will ask you to email, phone or visit another website to book your place; this will be mentioned in the event description. For others, you can just turn up!

Encouraging people to spend time in nature to benefit their health and wellbeing is sometimes known as "green social prescribing," or "blue social prescribing" if there's water involved. If you're a link worker or other social prescribing professional, we have resources just for you!

Let us know what you think!

If you use social media, please do share your thoughts and pictures using the hashtag #HappierOutdoorsLondon. Or click here to send us an email!

Have something to offer?

Any organisation delivering nature-focused activities in Greater London to help people’s health and wellbeing is welcome to join the London Happier Outdoors Network and list events on our calendar. We just ask that the activities are free to the public, take place in Greater London, and fit our values and aims. 

The activities and information on the Happier Outdoors website are not a substitute for professional medical treatment or advice. Please contact your GP or another qualified health care professional with any concerns you have about your health. Do not stop medication or treatment based on your experience with Happier Outdoors.

The Happier Outdoors community is being supported by the team at London National Park City which is the long-term grassroots movement for everyone making London greener, healthier and wilder.

Header description: A cartoon-style image of a diverse group of people enjoying nature-based activities in a green space with a river running through it. Activities include painting and drawing, planting a tree, walking and birdwatching. In the foreground is a heart turning from cold blue to warm pink, with a budding branch inside it pointing in the direction of the warmth.