“Naturally Healthy”

A Natural Health Service for

Cambridgeshire

Philip Clark:

Community Green Spaces Manager, Cambridgeshire County Council

Coordinator for Natural Cambridgeshire LNP

…putting nature at the heart

Natural Cambridgeshire

…putting nature at the heart

Originally initiated in May 2012 – as a result of Natural Environment White Paper 2011

Role as strategic champion for the natural environment

Vision and action published 2014

Business Plan currently in production

Naturally Healthy

…putting nature at the heart

Our Objective:

“to ensure everyone in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough will have the opportunity, and the confidence, to be ‘naturally active’ in order to improve their health and wellbeing.”

“What do we mean by Naturally Healthy?”

.. is a “natural health service that provides a range of services using the local green space around us as a proven method for treating a range of health & wellbeing issues”. (Natural England 2010).

…putting nature at the heart

What would “naturally healthy” look like?

…putting nature at the heart

Health Walks – Increasing physical activity/improving

mental wellbeing.Huntingdonshire District

Council Health Walk Scheme

So what next….

Natural Cambridgeshire …putting nature at the heart

We will champion the natural environment, as a way of promoting health equality and improving health and wellbeing. Focussing on:

Those at risk of or suffering from poor health, in order to reduce dependence on treatments and health services.

Those who do not currently engage with the natural environment.

Children and young people, along with their families and schools

Our workforce

So what next…

Natural Cambridgeshire …putting nature at the heart

Contribute to achieving health improvement measures set by Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Health and Wellbeing Boards.

Encourage environmental volunteering.

What’s next?

Natural Cambridgeshire …putting nature at the heart

Develop a ‘naturally healthy’ working groupMap existing ‘natural service’

providers/projectsRun nature and wellbeing knowledge sharing

workshopsHold events, such as a ‘Naturally Healthy’ week

in 2016 Develop a funding bid to deliver a “naturally

healthy” pilot project to develop the evidence base

What’s next?

Natural Cambridgeshire …putting nature at the heart

measure health outcomes from existing projects and share with health teams

engaging with more GPs re green prescriptions

identifying capacity of existing nature services

Outcomes?

Natural Cambridgeshire …putting nature at the heart

Therapeutic interventions: we want to develop the capacity in existing projects to see 2000 mental health patients and 3000 with learning disabilities every week

Prevention: we want to get 3000 inactive people

moving within the next year in Cambridgeshire.

Philip Clark

Coordinator for Natural Cambridgeshire LNP

01223 715686

philip.clark@

cambridgeshire.gov.uk

For further information please contact:

Natural Cambridgeshire …putting nature at the heart