Increasing access to nature to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities.
According to research by Friends of the Earth, 1,108 neighbourhoods in the UK – home to 9.6 million people – are deprived of green space. That’s roughly 1 in 5 of us. Yet we are increasingly aware of the positive benefits that spending time in nature has for our wellbeing and health. The Mental Health Foundation reported that nearly half of the UK said that visiting green spaces, such as parks, helped them to cope during lockdowns.
The Greener Communities Fund aims to create better access to nature in healthcare settings. The fund will make use of existing spaces in hospitals grounds, health care centres and within communities to create green spaces that support health and wellbeing, as well as supporting wildlife and biodiversity. The fund is a partnership between Hubbub and NHS Charities Together, made possible through the Starbucks 5p cup charge.
The difference we’re making.
The £1.2 million fund will support 10 NHS charities with grants of between £29,000 and £200,000. Winning projects will create community green spaces and increase access to nature for those whose access is limited, such as hospital patients and staff, people living in urban communities or community groups. The winning projects will be supported up to 2 years and are located across the UK.
The types of projects include creating a meadow on hospital grounds, community vegetable growing across a city, sensory gardens for mental health patients, outdoor play equipment for children with disabilities, therapeutic woodland with guided walking routes and a therapy garden to support elderly, stroke and dementia patients.
Meet the winning charities and pilot projects
Here’s four we made earlier…
Alongside the 10 projects selected for funding, Hubbub have been working with 4 pilot projects in Cardiff, Glasgow, London and Greater Manchester to gather learnings and provide guidance for the funded organisations, and to inspire future projects.
The Green Health Walk is a guided nature walk on Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH)’s Prestwich Site, created by Sow the City. The walk has seven differently themed areas to visit, …
