Health, wellbeing and the environment: opportunities and challenges

Launching Liverpool City Region’s Year of the Environment with an event focussed on using the environment to improve health and wellbeing.

This is the year of the environment and at an event in Liverpool we heard from some fantastic speakers about how the natural environment helps health and wellbeing – and the potential to increase the benefits. The day was organised in partnership with Liverpool City Region Year of the Environment, Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership and Voluntary Sector North West. The video gives a flavour of the event, with pledges for the Year of the Environment. Podcasts of presentations listed below can be found on our Audioboom channel, here: https://audioboom.com/dashboard/4939670

Innovation Agency Chair and adviser to the Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor on the natural environment, Gideon Ben-Tovim OBE describes his wish for the 2019 Year of the Environment. The North West Coast has the best natural environment in the country - and we all need to do our bit to help protect and improve our natural surroundings.

Watch all videos and interviews from the day:

Gideon Ben-Tovim OBE, Chair, Innovation Agency; Chair of Nature Connected; also Adviser on the natural environment to Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram

25 year environment plan mental health programme
Kate Hall-Wright, Policy Adviser, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Adding scale and depth to Social Prescribing
Dr William Bird MBE, Chief Executive Officer, Intelligent Health

Improving well-being through community gardening, practical examples
Andrew Darron, Chief Executive, Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside

Evaluating outcomes for the Natural Health Service
Professor Zoe Knowles, Professor of Engagement & Learning, Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University and Paul Nolan, Director, The Mersey Forest Team
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A vision for health care - putting wellbeing ideas into practice: The Everton Health and Wellbeing Hub
Dr Simon Abrams, Principal GP, Everton

Social Prescribing Network and creative health agenda
Jo Ward, North West Social Prescribing Network Co-Chair

Unexpected encounters in museums; older people, nature and natural heritage collections
Dr Sarah Plumb, Research Associate, Research Centre for Museums and Galleries, University of Leicester

It’s not rocket science!
Craig Lister, Green Gym Managing Director, The Conservation Volunteers

Can social prescribing help tackle the inverse care law? Building data capabilities that help us determine whether we are reaching those who are furthest away from care and support
Clare Mahoney, Senior Transformation Manager, Social Model of Health, Liverpool CCG

Enhancing environments, improving communities
Steve Gowland, Public Health Lead (Wellness & Mental Health), Sefton Council Sarah Holden, Head of Public Health Services, St Helens

Maximising place and environment Dave Sweeney, Executive Implementation Lead, Cheshire & Merseyside Health & Care Partnership.