The NHS Forest
NHS Forest is our Green Space for Health team’s flagship programme, and is dedicated to transforming the green spaces of healthcare sites for health, wellbeing and biodiversity.
What is NHS Forest?
NHS Forest is a project run by CSH’s own Green Space for Health team. It is funded by Defra’s Nature for Climate Fund, with support from the Forestry Commission, and through the Trees Call to Action Fund, which is administered by National Lottery Heritage.
NHS Forest helps healthcare sites to plan, plant and manage trees, woodlands and green spaces to create habitats for wildlife and sustainable social spaces for people. It provides free tree bundles and tree-planting advice to healthcare sites across England.
NHS Forest believes that a nature-positive health service is vital for building stronger, healthier and more sustainable communities.
Why is NHS Forest important?
Green spaces are one of our most neglected health resources. Evidence clearly shows the benefits of access to nature and green space for mental and physical health, including positive outcomes for heart rates and blood pressure, stress, mood and self-esteem, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many other physical and mental health problems. Access to green spaces on healthcare sites has a clear positive impact on patient outcomes and staff health and wellbeing, but evidence also shows that in England alone the NHS could save an estimated £2.1 billion every year in treatment costs if everyone had access to good quality green spaces. This is why we believe that growing green spaces on healthcare sites is essential.
Find out more
Learn more about the NHS Forest project, all of the work it is doing and the impact it is having on healthcare sites across England and the UK on our dedicated site.
Please contact Liz Rees, CSH’s Green Space for Health Programme Director if you have any questions, or for more information on how to apply.