Providing opportunities for everyone to engage in the Forest as part of their everyday lives is central to improving the wellbeing of our residents and wider audiences. Having publicly accessible woodlands and encouraging people to use them can improve physical and mental wellbeing, reducing pressure on the NHS. At a time when issues such as physical inactivity, obesity, isolation and anxiety are increasing, the Forest can provide the backdrop for preventive healthcare.
Each year we create and maintain access through grants and advice, with strategic projects to connect up the access networks. Alongside this, our volunteering and promotional work encourages individuals, groups and organisations to engage with those forest sites through practical conservation tasks, social prescribing, leisure activities and training activities.
