The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award recognising its innovative use of nature-based approaches to support children and young people’s mental health.
The Restormel CAMHS team has been named as one of just 3 finalists in the Psychiatric Team of the Year: Outstanding Commitment to Sustainability/Green Care category at the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) Awards 2026. The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 5 November at the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London.
The nomination recognises the work of the Restormel CAMHS team and its pioneering CAMHS Goes Wild! initiative, which has helped establish nature-based interventions, lifestyle medicine, and community collaboration as key components of mental health support for children and young people.
The award submission, led by Dr Beth Chapman, Locum Consultant Psychiatrist, highlighted several years of work by the team in promoting the therapeutic benefits of green and blue spaces, creating child and young person-friendly outdoor environments, and developing innovative lifestyle medicine approaches within CAMHS services.
Dr Chapman said:
“We are delighted to have been shortlisted at this year’s RCPsych Awards.
“While the submission included the proof-of-concept CAMHS Goes Wild! programme, this recognition is really for the whole Restormel CAMHS team, who have been committed to using green and blue spaces to support children and young people’s mental health for many years.
“The team has worked hard to make our garden spaces more welcoming and therapeutic for young people and has led the way in testing a lifestyle medicine approach. Colleagues across the service have also supported the project through evaluations, research, write-ups, and the development of our Lifestyle Medicine Prescription.
“Our model, which combines nature-based approaches, lifestyle medicine and strong community partnerships, closely aligns with recommendations from both the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare. We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved.
“This shortlisting is a testament to the dedication, creativity and passion of everyone involved. A huge thank you and congratulations to all those who have supported, enabled, designed and delivered this work.”
The Restormel CAMHS team’s approach aims to improve wellbeing by encouraging connection with nature, physical activity, healthy lifestyles, and community engagement, while ensuring mental health services are delivered in a more environmentally sustainable way.
