Environment, Wellbeing and Healthy Lifestyle Conference

Guest Posting

Date of the event: 21st October 2009
Organised by: Staffordshire University
Venue: Best Western, Stoke on Trent
Reported by: Jane Friend, Development Manager, Groundwork NW

I attended the event to promote Groundwork's contribution to the improvement of the environment and health. A link to all presentations can be found at Staffordshire University

Speakers came from far and wide (the furthest away, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency) to talk about a diverse range of topics linking to how the environment impacts on the health and wellbeing of communities and individuals.

What did I learn?
1. Marcus Sangster from the Forestry Commission reaffirmed the importance of access to a quality environment. Marcus gave a historical perspective to the positive effects of the environment on health. He felt that we had come full circle since the Kinder Trespass and that like then the full benefits of access to the environment are now being recognised again. To reflect the importance placed on health and wellbeing by a new project called NHS forest has been launched which aims to plant 1.3 million trees on NHS Estates.

2. Maximise the potential of green space. The quality of green space really matters when looking at the impact of the environment and health.

3. Edward Hobson from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment explained that places are shaped by history, typography and resources. Legacy means that some communities are better off than others in the same way vulnerable communities will be more affected by climate change. This is because the areas with the least green space will be the hottest areas. To counteract this, communities need to adapt by changing behaviour into every day life to build resilience to unavailable consequences of climate change.

4. Hugh Barton from WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Cities and Urban Policy described how urban planning that takes into account access to public transport can increase the number of episodes of walking and cycling in an area. He pointed out the where people reside should be 800 metres from public transport should be multi model so that people can pick either the quickest or healthiest route.

5. Health Impact Assessments should be integrated into the planning process.

The event organiser Jon Fairburn did mention that the turn out to the event had doubled since last year. Baring in mind the success of this year’s event it looks like a bigger venue might be needed next year!

In the Shadow

PART I - GUEST BLOG

Date of event: 9th September 2009
Organised by: NCVO
Venue: Groundwork Northwest
Report by: Mike Chambers, Head of Local Government Information and Analysis

It happened while I was on leave in August. While I was sunning myself in the mountains, Government Office was busily volunteering me for a day shadowing Rob Squires. I could have complained and, I guess, they could have apologised, but either of these would have been a first (honest!). But why complain? I have always been curious about the inside story of a cluster of projects delivering our vision for the North West.

It's not been what I expected. I don't know why but I was expecting brass tacks and lots of detail but instead I have spent the time looking at philosophy, ethics and the futures for the region's communities. I imagined we would occupy seperate worlds with different priorities and imperatives but in fact we have lots in common; not least the goals, frustrations and mysteries of health inequalities and life chances.

At the back of my mind is the haunting question of whether there will really be wider benefits than the joys of a mushroom melt lunch and some delightful chats with a collection of smart people. Well, there are. I hadn't appreciated that the mound of information we are sat on in Government Office could be useful to others, or the potential of Target: Wellbeing to give us a wealth of examples of initiatives to illustrate what can be done. So we will be extending our networks by looking at sharing information and analytical tools.

Its still only half time in the shadowing process. The second leg will be in Government Office next week. So watch this space.


PART II

Date of event: 16th September 2009
Organised by: NCVO
Venue: Government Office North West
Report by: Rob Squires, Wellbeing Network Co-ordinator (Third Sector)

It all began whilst everyone else at Target: Wellbeing was on holiday. In a quiet momment in the office I nonchalantly applied to a NCVO scheme called A Day In the Life, in which I would shadow somone in local government for a day, and in return they would shadow me. My reason for applying was that I wanted to discover what the human side of a government agency was like. When Mike arrived in our office last week, my first impressions of him were that he was very cool and confident. He also turned out to be quite fascinating, with a rich depth of experience, and a broad outlook on life.

During my afternoon in Government Office with Mike, we talked quite a lot about issues to do with data analysis and dissemination. He introduced me to his information and analysis manager, Mark Ellison, and we looked at some of the reporting formats they are developing for their data. They are keen to develop a closer partnership with Groundwork Northwest, and Target: Wellbeing as an outcome of A Day In the Life. Mark has offered to come into our office soon and give us some support in shaping up the evaluation data that we are getting from the 95 projects in Target: Wellbeing.

Rob goes on tour - NW Social Enterprise Trade Fair, Sustainable Funding Annual Gathering and Groundwork NW Staff Conference

Wow, three conferences in three days .. intense!

Report by: Rob Squires, Network Co-ordinator – Third Sector

Day 1 (16th Jun 09)

The 1st Northwest social enterprise trade fair

Organised by: Social Enterprise North West

Venue: Aintree Race Course

Day 1 of my grand tour was the first regional social enterprise conference at Aintree Racecourse, in a large building shaped like an aircraft hanger. The event was organised as a trade fair, with around 100 exhibitors, including trading social enterprises, and a wide variety of infrastructure support agencies. As I travelled on the train to the venue I wondered if I would know many people there, and was pleased on arrival to meet many friends, old and new. Of note amongst these were Co-ops UK who assist with the excellent Making Local Food Work project, and can provide free training and advice around food co-ops, legal structures, and governance issues.

Also present were Voluntary Sector North West, who are a Target: Wellbeing partner, and are currently championing the sector in the development of the new RS 2010 regional strategy. In the afternoon, I went to a talk by Simon Nooks who is head of strategy and performance for NWDA and is therefore a big fish in the RS 2010. Inequalities is a current emerging issue within the Strategy, with the release of the Equality Trust's new research which has proof from 50 countries, that economies with high levels of inequality perform very badly, in almost every way.

There is solid evidence of increased physical and mental health problems, obesity, drug abuse, imprisonment, lack of trust in community, violence, teenage birth, and chid well-being - all of which are issues that Target: Wellbeing projects aim to reduce. It would seem that since economic inequalities continue to grow, it is not all about economic growth and trickle down theory anymore. In addition to the business as usual economic growth priority, it would seem that the RS 2010 policy makers are actually considering measures to reduce financial inequalities in the region as well!

Day 2 (17th Jun)

Sustainable Funding Annual Gathering

Organised by: NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations)

Venue: New Welcome Centre, London

Day two took me to the capital, for a conference on Sustainable Funding, organised by NCVO - the National Council for Volunteer Organisations. This seemed like a somewhat prodigious occasion, compared with the more gritty northern social enterprise do, the day before. There was lots of rhetoric about civil society, and good examples of 3rd Sector organisations that have diversified their income, in order to develop more sustainable funding strategies.

I am running an Introduction to Sustainable Funding training session soon, for Target: Wellbeing projects, and will be passing on some of the info gleaned from this conference then.

Day 3 (18th Jun)

Groundwork Northwest staff conference

Venue: University of Manchester

Back in Manchester for the Groundwork Northwest staff conference, which was organised by a team in the same office as Target: Wellbeing. I'm feeling a bit more on home-ground here :-)

I went to an interesting workshop lead by Richard Caulfield, Chief Exec of VSNW and Ian MacArthur, regional director of Groundwork Northwest. Richard led a discussion about sector branding, and whether Voluntary and Community sector is more appropriate than Third Sector? Apparently NCVO, the sector lead are not happy with either, and prefer the term 'civil society' or sector. Richard also speculated that if the Conservatives win the next election, the Office of the Third Sector will probably be re-branded as the Office of Civil Society, or something like this. Interesting .. this may explain why NCVO are steering away from the terms VCS and 3rd Sector.

Both Richard and Ian MacArthur sit on 4NW, which is the new Regional Assembly, where they advocate 3rd Sector (VCS?) issues. There was more discussion in this workshop about the influence that the Equality Trust's new research is having on policy makers within RS 2010. Interestingly the Equality Trust report talks about Equality not Growth, and Global Warming. I am interested to see how the RS 2010 will propose to deliver sustained economic growth, whilst simultaneously reducing CO2 emissions, and increasing the health, well-being and happiness of people in the region.

A highlight of the day was the Green Triangle Awards, for the best Groundwork projects in the NW. Offshoots Permaculture project, which is part of the Target: Wellbeing portfolio won the prize for the Environmental Action category. Pictured is Phill Dewhurst from Offshoots, along with two volunteers, receiving their award from Cllr Neil Swannick (Manchester). You can watch the the promotion film for Offshoots that was shown at the ceremony, here on Youtube.