Prestwich Green Health Walk features in greener healthcare photography exhibition at COP26 – world’s largest climate action event
The Green Health Walk at the Prestwich site of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation’s NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) is being featured in NHS England’s new photography exhibition, “Care for the future: delivering the world’s first net zero health service,” at COP26 - the United Nations Conference of the Parties.
The photography exhibition, captured by portrait photographer, Justin Lambert, features NHS staff from across the country – from pharmacists to surgeons, mental health professionals to health visitors – who have pioneered greener healthcare initiatives for the benefit of their patients and the communities they serve.
The Prestwich Green health walk comprises of a 20 minute route through the grounds, with seven different areas of interest to visit. These areas include a heritage orchard, an allotment, a herb bed, a natural sculpture, habitat boxes and native woodland.
There is a growing body of evidence to show that natural, outdoor spaces can improve mood and reduce stress levels. Further to this, just one hour of walking a day can greatly improve overall wellbeing, particularly if the time is shared with others.
The walk was designed and built in 2020 by the Manchester based environmental organisation ‘Sow the City’, assisted by service users and staff from GMMH. The aim is to use environmental psychology to create a healing environment whilst promoting exercise, learning and socialising.
The protected green space also supports the Trust’s, and the wider NHS’s, environmental and sustainability goals, providing a natural habitat for local wildlife, mitigating climate change, and providing produce for the hospital café.
Photographs of the Green Health Walk in action will be on display in the Blue Zone of the COP26 venue in Glasgow, for the duration of the conference [31st October – 12th November], before it will move on to Newcastle NHS Hospital Trust in December, and on to other NHS Trusts across the country over the course of 2022.
Wayne Burrows, Specialist Service Network Matron at GMMH and coordinator of service user health walk activities, is featured in the exhibition. He said:
“Taking time out in nature can have an incredibly positive impact on your mental health. Our Green Health Walk provides a calming and nurturing experience for our service users, carers and staff. The space also provides a variety of environmental benefits, offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, generating local produce, and offering a natural habitat for wildlife.
“We have recently secured investment to more than double some of the walks features and will be working with our service users, carers and staff to expand the project in 2022, building on its current success and broadening the positive mental health and environmental benefits it provides.”
Air pollution is the single greatest environmental threat to health in the UK, accounting for 1 in 20 deaths. Reducing harmful carbon emissions will reduce the number of cases of cancer, heart disease and asthma. Tackling climate change will also prevent the growing health impacts of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, and the disruption of care they bring. Last year, UK heatwaves claimed more than 2,500 lives.
As one of the world’s largest employers, contributing almost 5% of UK carbon emissions, the NHS can play a vital role in supporting the UK Government’s climate change targets.
Dr. Nick Watts, NHS Chief Sustainability Officer, said:
“One year on from becoming the first health service in the world to commit to being net zero, the NHS is still on track to reduce its admissions – saving enough carbon to fuel 1.7m flights from London to New York - at the same time as dealing with its most immediate threat in Covid-19.
“This exhibition celebrates the incredible work of NHS staff who continue to lead the world in the fight against climate change, creating a healthier planet for our patients.”
Naomi Makin, Sustainability Manager at GMMH said:
“As a Trust Greater Manchester Mental Health is working hard to identify, manage and reduce its impact on the natural environment. Our electricity supplies are now renewable, we are targeting environmental excellence in the construction of our new North Manchester Mental Health Unit and our electric vehicle charging points are being upgraded and expanded.
“At the same time, we are developing innovative programmes to support the mental health recovery of our service users through natural therapies, including food growing and woodland management; and our Green Health Walks are an integral part of this. Working in nature creates a sense of purpose and hopefulness and by sharing these experiences in groups we feel a sense of belonging and wellbeing.”
Maps for the Green Health Walk are available from The Curve Reception on the Prestwich Site, Bury New Road, Prestwich, M25 3BL or visit www.gmmh.nhs.uk/green-health-walk.
Visitors to the NHS “Care for the future: delivering the world’s first net zero health service” photography exhibition at COP26, including political leaders and their delegations from around the world, will discover how greener healthcare is beginning to transform every area of healthcare, from the first climate-friendly birth through to cutting the delivery time of vital medical supplies by boat, and reducing harmful gases within one of the greenest operating theatres in the country.
The full exhibition and stories can be accessed digitally on the Greener NHS website. Search “Greener NHS”. To find out more about this exhibition, please contact: greener.nhs@nhs.net.
