Woods and trees play crucial part in healthy communities
The Woodland Trust has endorsed Natural England’s new ‘environmental health’ approach as outlined today by Health Secretary Andy Burnham and Environment Secretary Hilary Benn in the firm conviction that trees and woods are an integral part of healthy communities.
The Trust’s new VisitWoods programme, promoting all open access woodland across the UK, shares top billing in a Natural England (NE) action list alongside a new NHS Forest, promotion of both green and blue gyms, the successful Walk to Health Initiative (WHI) and Care Farms - opening up farms to those with significant mental health or addiction issues.
Added to that, says the Trust, is the key health role that woods and trees can play in reducing potentially harmful ‘heat islands’ in towns and cities, and their recognised ability to improve air quality.
Through VisitWoods the Trust will be working in partnership with WHI to support healthy walking, which is at the heart of the NE programme, with two key calculations:
Every £1 spent on establishing healthy walking schemes will be saved sevenfold in the cost of treating conditions such as heart disease and diabetes – and
If every household in England were provided with good access to quality green space it could save an estimated £2.1 billion in health care costs
The Trust is a strong believer in not only the physical but also mental health benefits of visits to woodland, whether by a simple stress-reducing walk in the woods or regular exercise. Planting a tree is also great for mind and body.
There is already considerable evidence reflecting woodland’s influence on increased recovery rates, the stimulus it provides to take exercise and its limitless scope for encouraging children to play naturally – in the open air. All of which dovetails neatly with Natural England findings, showing that access to and use of high quality green space not only makes people more healthy, but can actually save lives.
Its research confirms that people who live closer to green spaces are more physically active and less likely to be overweight or obese, woods and green space have the capability of closing health gaps between rich and poor, and that contact with nature is restorative and stress reducing.
“The Trust is delighted to be involved,” said Jill Attenborough, Trust head of project development. “The launch of the Natural Health Service signifies official recognition for the importance of woods, trees and green space in improving the nation’s health, at a time when the nation’s health is in crisis.”
“Our involvement in the programme offers a significant partnership win-win – more people out enjoying trees, woods and wildlife and understanding their vital role in daily life, and hopefully as a result, a significantly reduced spend on healthcare.”
Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact:
The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, email: media@woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust:
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters.
The Trust has three key aims: i) to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees ii) to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future iii) to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free.