Dorset County Hospital (DCH) has been chosen to benefit from a scheme that helps hospitals create thriving green spaces to support community wellbeing and local biodiversity.
The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (CSH) selected Dorset County Hospital to be part of the national Healthy by Nature project.
Funded by the National Lottery Community fund, a Nature Recovery Ranger will be based at DCH to deliver green space activities with local community groups for patients, staff and visitors who might otherwise have limited access to nature.
DCH is one of nine hospitals to be selected to take part in the project. Jo Howarth, Director of Nursing at Dorset County Hospital, said:
“We are delighted to have been chosen to benefit from this initiative. We are passionate about restoring and improving our green spaces, as we know that spending time outdoors with nature can have a positive impact on people’s physical and mental health, and aid patient recovery.
“We already have a green spaces group which has seen the creation of a staff gardening club, planting of NHS Forest tree whips and the development of plans for a new sensory garden. Having a Nature Recovery Ranger on site will help us build on this work, improve our outdoor spaces and deliver nature-based activities which will benefit our patients, staff and visitors.”
The project is led by CSH’s Green Space for Health team who also manage the NHS Forest project, which has planted more than 133,000 trees across hundreds of NHS sites.
“Our pilot project showed that bringing nature and healthcare together creates remarkable benefits for everyone involved,” said Liz Rees, Green Space Director at the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare. “Over 90% of pilot participants reported improved wellbeing and agreed that the programme made their area a better place to live.”
Key features of the project include:
- nature-based activities designed for accessibility and inclusion
- specialist support for participants with additional needs
- focus on areas with limited access to green space
- opportunities for social prescribing
- training for community volunteers in green space management
The initiative also supports the NHS’s commitment to tackling climate change and improving biodiversity.
The project will begin running activities in June 2025.
For more information about Healthy by Nature visit nhsforest.org
