NHS Forest conference and awards

This year’s conference was held online on Wednesday 18 October, on the theme of Trees and Woodlands on the NHS estate. Watch the conference online here.

The NHS Forest’s annual conference was established in autumn 2011 as a space to share ideas, experiences and questions about the links between green space and health. It showcases the potential of the NHS green estate to be used strategically to support health and wellbeing of staff, patients and the wider community.

Keynote speakers have included representatives from organisations that support the NHS Forest, including The Great Outdoor Gym Company, Incredible Edible, RSK, The Wildlife Trusts and The Conservation Volunteers. There are also hospital head gardeners, landscape architects, speakers from Public Health England, researchers, and both clinical and non-clinical NHS staff, from anaesthetists to sustainability managers.

The event – whether online or in person – typically includes a workshop, where delegates from a range of backgrounds can discuss what the best kind of green space might be for their site, how to engage the local community or healthcare staff with this space, and learn from others who have carried out similar projects. It’s a fantastic way to network, to get ideas on how to fund these initiatives, and on the wide range of partner organisations that can help hospitals realise their green space ambitions.

“The NHS Forest conference was a great chance for us to share and learn about a host of wonderful initiatives linked to the NHS Forest project. I came away inspired by Incredible Edible to ensure some more fruit trees would be planted on our site and by The Great Outdoor Gym Company to try to ensure more exercise facilities are available across the county – next to the trees!”

– Dr Caroline Jessel, Kent and Medway NHS Trust

“The NHS Forest Conference is an amazing opportunity to hear about the brilliant ways in which different healthcare organisations are using their green spaces for the benefits of patients, staff and local communities. There’s so much best practice out there, it’s inspiring to hear direct from project leads and to make connections with other people trying to bring about positive change”

– Ian Stenton, Liverpool University Hospitals

NHS Forest awards

The NHS Forest awards are presented at the conference. Previous award categories have included ‘Most trees planted for the NHS Forest’, ‘Most innovative NHS Forest site’, ‘Best community engagement in the NHS Forest’ ‘Outstanding contribution to the NHS Forest’ and ‘Most pioneering use of green space by a healthcare professional’. Anyone can nominate an NHS Forest site for an award – it can be your own site, or another one that you are familiar with. Nominations open a few months before the annual conference, and will be announced via our newsletter.