Myplace Weeknotes: Week 7

Myplace is a green prescribing initiative run by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust which aims to increase mental wellbeing through connecting clients to the natural environment in a group setting. It is predicted that due to COVID-19, almost 20% of the population will need either new or additional mental health support making initiatives like Myplace essential in supporting community mental health provision.

The aim of the current project is to increase the number of people who move from initial enquiry or referral to actually joining Myplace and experiencing the benefits of connecting with nature via ecotherapy.

To share our journey with others we’ll be drafting weeknotes describing and reflecting on our work over the past week:

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Week 6

This week has been focused on the practical logistics of our test and onboarding the project officers who represent a key touch point during the Myplace referral process. Here’s a summary of our week:

1. Onboarding and training

• The Furthermore team had a great time getting to know the Myplace project officers better through attending several of the team’s morning check-ins and chatting about the current project and the testing process
• We presented several ‘how to’ guides in terms of the testing process as well as more technical elements such as tracking and logging emails through Hubspot for our test
• Everyone seemed to take it in their stride and as well as looking at onboarding rates, we’re looking forward to getting feedback in terms of the ease of use of the current prototype in the coming weeks

The Furthermore team has enjoyed getting to know the Myplace project officers through morning check-ins and briefings about the testing process. Screenshot of a zoom meeting reproduced with permission.

2. Getting to grips with new tech

• We got to grips with filming on a 360 degree camera and looking at how to convey the best of the Myplace sites in this new medium to reassure prospects before they attend a session
• Managing the weather was slightly challenging earlier on in the week as well as finding shots that were a bit less wintery! The team is currently editing a selection of footage that we hope will help Myplace participants familiarise themselves with a number of sites before their session

We’ve been inspired by 360 degree videos like this one and are testing whether immersive content reassures prospects before their Myplace session

3. Chatting to our support network

• We met with our Catalyst connector Debby to update her on the progress of our project. She got us thinking about a roadmap for future development of our solution and how we can best share assets with other organisations
• We always enjoy our catchups with Debby as she always introduces us to some brilliant tools

4. Starting our testing phase

• Our test went live this week and we can’t wait to see whether our prototypes make it easier for prospective Myplace participants to join the service
• We’re also hoping that using a CRM tool will help facilitate communications between prospects and project officers, making the day to day easier for the Myplace team

5. Managing our testing phase

• We’ve also been having conversations about how we will support Myplace whilst the test is running. We’ve organised weekly catchups to chat about progress and troubleshoot any issues. We’ll also be available on slack so we can respond to any teething issues quickly