Many STH projects take place in public green spaces that are cared for as a community resources. These might include public parks (such as Thrive’s gardens in Battersea Park, London, and Kings Heath Park, Birmingham), community allotments and gardens, gardens attached to community centres, leisure centres, GP surgeries, schools and hospitals.
A survey of 185 organisations offering gardening for health and wellbeing programmes in England and Wales (Green Care Coalition, 2018) found that 39% of the settings were community focused (community gardens, farms, allotments, etc.).
Without active management as part of an STH project, many of these spaces would not be able to offer the wider community the opportunity to spend time in nature and access the restorative benefits that that brings.