Helena Dolby for Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust
Enable healthy communities
Right now in the UK, poor-quality living conditions are harming people’s health and cutting lives short. It’s the most disadvantaged and vulnerable communities who are paying the highest price. Those in the most deprived areas are ten times less likely to have access to green spaces – and over a third of the population, nearly 9.5 million households in England, live without nature on their doorstep. This inequality is unjust – but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Improving access to natural, wildlife-rich places where we live, learn and work will transform people’s lives, improving health, happiness, and hope across communities. To bring about healthy and sustainable communities, we’re calling on all political parties to commit to a cross-Government fund to grow community-based health services.
To bring about healthy and sustainable communities, we’re calling on all political parties to...
Commit to a cross-Government fund to grow community-based health services
The Wildlife Trusts and organisations from creative arts, sport and physical activity sectors have a critical role to play. ‘Social prescribing’ must be integrated into health and social care services in the community. It makes economic sense and has the potential to deliver improved health and well-being at scale. Independent economic analysis has found that Wildlife Trust's health and wellbeing programmes save the NHS money and cut reliance on their stretched resources. One project that tackled loneliness and isolation in older people could deliver cost savings to the NHS of £100 million benefiting the health and wellbeing of 1.2 million people.
Helena Dolby for Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust
A Right to a Healthy Natural Environment
Access to a clean and healthy environment is a basic human right that should be guaranteed through law. Doing this would protect nature, improve people’s physical health, and improve mental wellbeing by reducing feelings of eco-anxiety. Local Authorities should be empowered to work alongside communities, to address inequalities in access to natural spaces in their local areas.
Wild PE lesson with Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust (Helena Dolby)
Give every child the best start in life
Having the opportunity to learn outdoors is transformational for children. Learning in high-quality green or blue spaces provides access to nature, giving young people the chance to experience the natural world around them. Outdoor learning benefits children’s mental health and embeds a feeling of responsibility to look after the environment that stays with us into adulthood and shapes the way we live. New statutory guidance to deliver outdoor education for all can ensure our schools support happier, more confident children who understand their impact on our natural world.
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