At the Naturemind conference in Burnley, June 2025, Frances Tippett, Chair of the Coalition for Personalised Care, delivered a powerful keynote on transforming the relationship between green social prescribing organisations and healthcare funding. Frances asked the question, could NHS and local authority funding be a blessing or a curse? Tippett argues for a collaborative approach that treats funders as allies and emphasises the power of collective action in the sector.

The Elephant in the Room

Tippett opened by acknowledging what everyone in the room already knew – funding is the “massive elephant” that dominates conversations in green social prescribing. But, rather than dwelling on the problem, she offered a refreshingly different perspective based on her twenty years of experience working across NHS England, local authorities, and community organisations.

“The people who appear to have the money are actually the most miserable at the moment within our health and care system,” Tippett observed, describing commissioners and senior leaders as trapped in a “gilded cage” of bureaucracy and pressure.

The Power of Positivity

One of Tippett’s most compelling examples came from her experience running personalised care awards in the Southwest. What started as a simple recognition event led to an unexpected breakthrough when she wrote thank-you letters to chief executives highlighting their teams’ achievements.

The result? A service that was facing closure suddenly received a two-year extension with secure contracts for all staff. While Tippett acknowledged this might have been a coincidence, the lesson was clear: “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”

Targeting the ‘Villains’

In a particularly insightful moment, Tippett challenged the audience to reconsider their relationship with finance directors – often seen as the “biggest villains” in healthcare funding. Her experience organising a finance director conference revealed these professionals’ genuine passion for making a difference to people’s lives.

“If people are working in finance in health and social care, it’s because they believe in it,” she explained. “There’s a reason why they’re not doing a corporate job which could earn them more money.”

Her practical advice: avoid contacting finance teams between Christmas and May when they’re focused on financial year-end, but June onwards is prime time for engagement.

From Little Fish to Big Fish

Perhaps the most powerful part of Tippett’s presentation was her call for collaboration over competition. Using the metaphor of small fish coordinating to create a bigger fish, she challenged organisations to think beyond individual survival toward collective strength.

“What would it be like if we thought of ourselves a bit more like the trees out there – an ecosystem that is mutually beneficial and supportive of one another?” she asked.

The Nature Connection

Drawing on her personal experience of mental health challenges and recovery through gardening, nurturing animals, and painting, Tippett emphasised that personalised care must be holistic. Green social prescribing isn’t just about healthcare outcomes – it’s about reconnecting people with nature, community, and themselves.

A Blueprint for Change

Tippett’s message wasn’t just inspirational – it was practical. Her recommendations for the sector include:

• Find allies within the system and invite them to be part of the movement
• Think resources, not just money – collaboration can provide what funding alone cannot
• Tell positive stories to senior leaders through unexpected channels
• Target finance teams directly with evidence of return on investment
• Work collectively to present a stronger voice to commissioners

The Resilience of Nature

As someone whose team currently has funding only until September, Tippett practised what she preached about resilience and faith. “We all know that nature heals and nature is much more resilient than we are,” she concluded. “I think there’s that bit of just trying to emulate nature as much as we can.”

A Call to Action

Tippett’s keynote wasn’t just about surviving the funding landscape – it was about transforming it. By building authentic relationships with commissioners, celebrating successes publicly, and working together as an ecosystem, the green social prescribing sector can move from viewing funding as a curse to embracing it as a blessing.

The ripple effects of this work, as Tippett noted, extend far beyond individual organisations. “The people who are benefiting now, the ripples from the work that you’re doing, making a difference to people’s lives, reconnecting people with each other, with nature – that’s precious, isn’t it?”

For those working in green social prescribing, Tippett’s message was clear: the sector’s greatest asset isn’t its funding applications or business cases – it’s the joy, energy, and shared purpose that drives everyone in the room. And that, perhaps, is the key to unlocking sustainable support from those who hold the purse strings.

Frances Tippett is Chair of the Coalition for Personalised Care and has over 10 years of experience leading initiatives to ensure everyone can access personalised care. The Naturemind conference brought together practitioners, researchers, and policymakers working in green social prescribing across the UK.