Natural England

Natural England will today (8th November) launch its health campaign to help people benefit from the natural environment.

Helen Phillips, Natural England’s Chief Executive, will set out details of the campaign on a visit to Gillespie Park Local Nature Reserve in Islington at 10.00 am on Wednesday 8 November. She will be taking part in an open air Tai Chi session and joining local conservation volunteers in action.

Alison Barnes, Natural England Director for London, says: "Prevention is better than cure but up to 97% of NHS spend goes on treating people after they have become ill. We are working with the NHS to plan ways in which the environment is used as a ‘natural’ health service that gets, and keeps, more people healthy.”

Dr William Bird, Natural England’s health adviser, adds: "Increasing evidence strongly suggests that both physical and mental health are improved through contact with nature. Yet people are having less contact with nature than at any other time in the past. This has to change!”

Natural England is working closely with the BBC and over 300 other partners to help deliver Breathing Places, a campaign to mobilise more than a million people, who are not currently active in the environment sector, to get involved at thousands of wildlife friendly green spaces across the country.

Liz Cleaver, Controller of Learning at the BBC stressed the importance of Natural England’s health campaign, adding: “These two campaigns now provide the public with the opportunity for people to get outside and to get actively involved with nature close to where they live. That’s great for wildlife – but it’s also fantastic for everyone’s health and well being.”

Natural England’s health and the environment campaign will encourage:

• 1. more people to get more health benefit from regular contact with the natural environment wherever they live;
• 2. health professionals to make more use of the natural environment as part of the total health care they give to their patients; and
• 3. professionals who manage public open spaces to improve the amount and quality of green space near where people live.

Natural England will do this by building a coalition of environmental, educational, scientific, health and community organizations through London to bring the environment to the forefront of the health agenda.

One example of this is in the London Borough of Brent where Brent Health Walks was set up in April 2006 and is being run by Brent Sports Service with support from Natural England. Emmanuel Adjei-Poku joined the scheme after picking up a local leaflet. Emmanuel is a 53 year old who had a stroke three years ago. He now joins Brent Health Walks three times a week in Roundwood Park, Welsh Harp Park and Gibbons recreation ground in the Harlesden area of Brent. The walks have helped him to lose weight and improve mobility and stamina. In addition, since joining the group, he has made new friends and the scheme co-ordinator is really impressed with how he has benefited from the scheme.

To help people find places to enjoy the outdoors, in the London region there are 120 Local Nature Reserves and Doorstep Greens managed in partnership by local authorities and local communities. There are also 32 Sites of Special Scientific Interest and the Thames Path National Trail, which runs close to the river from the capital’s western boundary to the Thames barrier at Greenwich. Doorstep Greens are brand new open spaces created in urban areas. In addition, the Breathing Places campaign can offer other ways of finding spaces for green exercise.

ENDS

Notes for editors:

1. For further information and interviews please contact John Rennie, regional PR adviser, on 07976 666969, or Natural England communications lead Ellen Softley on 020 7238 5377.

2. Details of Natural England’s health and the environment campaign can be found on www.naturalengland.org.uk/campaigns/health/default.htm. More information on the BBC Breathing Places campaign is at www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces

3. The Breathing Places scheme includes a UK-wide small grants programme, developed by the Big Lottery Fund in partnership with the BBC campaign, to inspire communities to get involved in transforming, creating and caring for local green spaces that are good for wildlife and good for people.

4. Natural England was established by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. Its purpose is to ensure that the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations, thereby contributing to sustainable development. Natural England’s Strategic Direction 2006-09 sets out how it will deliver this purpose through incentives, advice and regulation. This identifies four strategic outcomes Natural England will seek to deliver: a healthy natural environment, enjoyment of the natural environment, sustainable use of the natural environment and a secure environmental future. Natural England has been formed by bringing together English Nature, the landscape, access and recreation elements of the Countryside Agency and the environmental land management functions of the Rural Development Service. Natural England has a budget of £500 million and employs 2500 people. Natural England’s headquarters are based in Sheffield.

For further information contact: John Rennie, Regional PR adviser

Telephone: 07976 666969

Email: jrennie@dial.pipex.com

Or contact the national press office on 07970 098 005

Website: For further information about Natural England please visit: www.naturalengland.org.uk