Natural Choices for Health and Wellbeing Programme - Liverpool

@https://www.merseyforest.org.uk/our-work/natural-choices-for-health-and-wellbeing/

The “Natural Choices for Health and Wellbeing” programme in Liverpool, UK was a municipal-level pilot scheme between the Liverpool Primary Care Trust (a now defunct local statutory organization under the National Health Service), the Mersey Forest (a network for management of woodlands and green spaces in two English counties), and numerous community groups and organizations. The 2012 programme funded projects that improved local livelihoods and health through the creation and enhancement of green spaces and natural elements. More specifically, the program aimed to reduce health and well-being inequalities by funding various projects targeting areas with higher health needs and lacking green areas, generally the most disadvantaged areas of the city. The program defined several subcategories for funded projects, with the general aim of improving health and well-being. These categories included: engagement of locals in gardening and food growing; creation and improvement of environments; development of skills and education on local ecosystems, environment and health issues; development of connections with the self, the neighbors and the environment; the improvement of mental health; the development of physical activity routines, and the strengthening of communities’ social fabric. The policy instrument was a part of several broader schemes, which the Liverpool Primary Care Trust, the Mersey Forest, and Liverpool municipal government collaborated on. Specifically, the instrument relates to the 2020 Liverpool Decade of Health and Wellbeing and the Liverpool Green Infrastructure Strategy. The program lasted for around 44 weeks between January 2012 to November 2012. Due to its success, the Natural Choices program served as a pilot scheme and transitioned to a larger program.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Economic and fiscal instruments›Financing mechanisms /market-based instruments (e.g. taxes to generate revenue)

Challenges addressed

Social cohesion
Social equity
Reconnection to the biosphere / environmental education
Human health, comfort and well-being

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

The program provided funding to projects that transformed derelict urban areas into green spaces for recreational activities, learning, and connection with the environment. The program did so from a recognition of the connection between good health and green space, and primarily aimed to improve health and well-being for Liverpool residents through access to green space. Different types of projects included: mangagement of locals in gardening and food growing; creation and improvement of environments; development of skills and education on local ecosystems, environment and health issues; development of connections with the self, the neighbors and the environment; the improvement of mental health; the development of physical activity routines, and the strengthening of communities’ social fabric.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Parks and (semi)natural urban green areas

Allotments, community gardens or agricultural areas

Good practice characteristics:

Effective

Locally appropriate

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Innovative

Inclusivity

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Partnership

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The Liverpool Green Infrastructure Strategy, jointly commissioned from The Mersey Forest by Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Primary Care Trust, was the first of its kind in the UK. On this basis, the Natural Choices for Health and Wellbeing Programme was piloted in 2012 by the Liverpool Primary Care Trust (a now defunct local statutory organization under the National Health Service), the Mersey Forest (a network for management of woodlands and green spaces in two English counties), and numerous community groups and organizations

Involvement of non-governmental actors:

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Coalition

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

The programme selected projects for funding based on two main criteria: One criterion was improving well-being through the five ways to well-being standard (part of the 2020 Liverpool Decade of Health and Wellbeing framework): connect (i.e., connect participants to their local community, environment, and other project participants), be active (i.e., help participants to be active physically and within their communities), take notice (i.e., environmental education), keep learning (i.e., provide opportunities to share knowledge, gain qualifications and skills), and give (i.e., enable opportunities to give to others by volunteering). The other criterion was use of the natural environment in the project. The Mersey Forest, a network for woodland and green space management, implemented the program based on funds from the Liverpool Primary Care Trust, and community organizations received the funding and implemented the projects. Therefore, non-governmental actors had the majority of power in the decision-making process and consistent involvement.

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Implementation of NBS (e.g. with government funds)

Targeted actors:

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs

Financing

Sources of funding:

Public local authority’s budget

Budget:

100 000 € 500 000€

Details about instrument financing:

The program selected 38 projects to receive between ca. €1200 - 45000 (1000 - 38000 GBP) from the Liverpool Primary Care Trust. Ultimately, the Liverpool Primary Care Trust provided over €370000 (308,000 GBP) in funding to projects.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Yes

Supported projects were required to submit interim evaluation reports as well as a draft final report, in order to allow the program managers to provide assistance and specific support based on emerging issues.

Did an evaluation take place?:

Yes

Evaluation of the program was outsourced to the University of Essex, which evaluated the program based on whether it led to improvements in health and well-being through "session logbooks or diaries; observation; visual documentation; project administration records; benchmarking sessions; feedback sessions; and audience surveys." (https://www.merseyforest.org.uk/files/documents/1267/Natural+choices+for+health+and+well-being+report+Final+Report+August+2013.pdf)

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

The public call for project applications received 122 expressions of interests. Out of these, 38 projects were selected to receive funds. These projects actively engaged 3,724 participants in over 1,243 events in Liverpool. Most projects focused on either gardening or creating/improving the environment. At the end of the programme, surveys showed an increase in well-being of up to 18 percent for participants who completed at least three well-being cards, larger than most other well-being programmes. Moreover, well-being in selected areas went from scores below the municipal average to scores above the municipal average.

Success factors and lessons learned:

Some of the projects were limited by the process of recruitment for participants and volunteers. Irregular participation also slowed down progresses in some cases, especially where training activities were involved. Overall, individual relationship rather than institutional structures turned to be crucial driving factors for much of the activity. Weather was also reported as a major obstacles that was outside the control of projects and program administrators. Participants commented how further planning and relationship building prior to projects' implementation would improve similar programs in the future. Yet despite these challenges, the programme was an innovative approach to partnering and co-governance between governmental and non-governmental actors/institutions and successfully reached a wide audience, also brining awareness to the topic of green infrastructure amongst residents.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Lovell R., Depledge M., Maxwell S. (2018). Health and the natural environment: A review of evidence, policy, practice and opportunities for the future. Defra Project Code BE0109. Institute of Health Research, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Available at: https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10871/36923 (Accessed: 30 8 2021)

Mersey Forest. (2021). Natural Choices for Health and Wellbeing. Available at: https://www.merseyforest.org.uk/our-work/natural-choices-for-health-and-wellbeing/ (Accessed: 30 8 2021)

Mersey Forest. (2014). The Mersey Forest Plan 2014. Available at: https://www.merseyforest.org.uk/about/plan/ (Accessed: 30 8 2021)

Wood C., Bragg R., and Barton J. (2013). Natural Choices for Health and Wellbeing. A Report for Liverpool Primary Care Trust and The Mersey Forest. School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex. Available at: https://www.merseyforest.org.uk/files/documents/1267/Natural+choices+for+health+and+well-being+report+Final+Report+August+2013.pdf (Accessed: 1 August 2022).

World Urbanization Prospects. (2018). United Nations population estimates and projections of major Urban Agglomerations.

The Mersey Forest. (2014). Summary of Natural Choices for Health & Wellbeing Evaluation Report. Available at: https://www.merseyforest.org.uk/files/documents/1268/Natural+Choices+Summary+Report+Final.pdf (Accessed: 1 August 2022).

Further documents

Weblinks:

https://www.merseyforest.org.uk/our-work/natural-choices-for-health-and-wellbein…

https://www.merseyforest.org.uk/files/documents/1267/Natural+choices+for+health+…

Photos

@https://www.merseyforest.org.uk/our-work/natural-choices-for-health-and-wellbeing/