Restormel CAMHS garden work in the running for national award

For years, a team of children’s mental health staff in Restormel have been quietly taking their work outdoors. Now a national panel has taken notice.

The Restormel Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted for an award recognising its use of nature-based approaches to support children and young people’s mental health.

One of just three finalists

The team is one of three 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 ceremony takes place on Thursday 5 November at the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London.

What CAMHS Goes Wild! set out to do

The nomination centres on the team’s CAMHS Goes Wild! initiative. It has helped make nature-based interventions, lifestyle medicine and community collaboration key parts of mental health support for children and young people.

The award submission was led by Dr Beth Chapman, a Locum Consultant Psychiatrist. It set out several years of work by the team promoting the therapeutic benefits of green and blue spaces, creating outdoor environments that feel right for children and young people, and developing lifestyle medicine approaches within CAMHS services.

The idea is to improve wellbeing by encouraging connection with nature, physical activity, healthy lifestyles and community engagement. And to deliver mental health services in a more environmentally sustainable way at the same time.

What the team says

Dr Beth 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.”

Beth added that the model, combining 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,” she said. “A huge thank you and congratulations to all those who have supported, enabled, designed and delivered this work.”

The winner will be announced in London on Thursday 5 November.