Woods and national wellbeing

National measures for wellbeing released

Access to "good quality local green spaces" was one of the most important factors in determining how happy people feel about where they live, according to one of the most striking findings from an initial public survey on this issue.

But the draft indicators proposed for measuring the wellbeing of the nation during last year's public consultation did not give enough emphasis to this important factor. 

So with your help, we lobbied the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on what the measures of 'national well-being' should include. Together we called for access to green spaces with trees to be included as one of the final adopted key measures under 'where you live'.

Thank you for taking part!

This week the ONS published 3 reports based on progress so far:

 Measuring National Wellbeing - Where we live

Woods and trees benefit all of us in ways that money can't buy...

Measuring national well-being will provide a more coherent measure of 'how the country is doing' than stand-alone measures such as GDP. It's vital that woods and trees are recognised as a key contributor to our quality of life.

"A real test for joined-up Government"

      More on the ONS website

"This survey provides great supporting evidence for the Government to realise the importance of green space and to take seriously the Independent Panel on Forestry's final report which so clearly spells out the essential part woods and trees play in people's wellbeing. "

James Cooper

The Forests Report

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