The overall aim of Bristol Green Capital Partnership is to help Bristol become “a low carbon city with a high quality of life for all”.

In the Health and Wellbeing Action Group we intend to show how sustainable living and personal health and happiness are related: how contributing to improvements in the global environment can make one healthier and happier and vice versa.

The Health and Wellbeing Action Group developed Bristol’s inaugural Healthy City Week (10 – 18 October 2015) aiming to inspire citizens of Bristol to achieve healthier lifestyles as part of a more sustainable future city. With talks, workshops, activities and exhibitions that explore the links between health and sustainability, Healthy City Week will promote “wellbeing that doesn’t cost the earth”.

Healthy City Week will be delivered by Bristol Green Capital Partnership CIC and Love The Future CIC, formed in collaboration with members of the BGCP Health and Wellbeing Group, University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol, and sponsored by Bristol Health Partners

Vision

Bristol is a city in which:

1. All residents enjoy a physical and natural environment that sustains health and well-being
2. There is a social culture which values well-being and personal and community resilience
3. A spectrum of public , third sector and commercial organisations work for well-being
4. Integrated health services champion preventative medicine and whole person care
5. Health services provide equitable and effective treatment for illnesses as they arise
6. The health sector is managing its resources to minimise its environmental impact
7. There is a below-average gap in life-expectancy between high and low income groups

The Purpose of the Health and Well Being Action Group

• A place for people to meet, share ideas and be generally inspired by a common purpose
• A forum for advancing specific projects led or facilitated by group members
• A means of connecting to the work of other Bristol Green Capital Partnership Action Groups and partnership organisation on Health and Wellbeing themes
• A means to raise the profile of Health and Wellbeing projects in the city
• A catalyst for projects in NHS, voluntary and commercial sectors
• Raising the theme of Health and Wellbeing within the Bristol Green Capital Partnership and Bristol 2015 year
• Helping HAWBAG members and projects to engage with the Bristol 2015 grant funding streams
• Keeping HAWBAG members informed of Bristol Green Capital Partnership activities and vice versa
• Maintaining an up-to-date presence for the group on the Bristol Green Capital Partnership website

How the group works

It has two chairs:

Trevor Thompson – Reader in Healthcare Education at the School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol

Sam Willitts – Energy & Sustainability Manager, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

In 2014, the group held meetings between 5-6pm on Tuesdays every four weeks. One of the chairs attends Bristol Green Capital Partnership events to meet the leads of the other Action Groups and partnership organisations, making connections between activities and projects that have common themes and promoting Health and Wellbeing projects across BGCP.

In 2015, the focus of the group will be on participating, supporting particular projects and raising awareness through coordination of a ‘Healthy City Week’ in October 2015. More details to be announced in June 2015. If you would like to be involved in Healthy City Week, please check the website in June 2015 or get in touch via contact@bgcpartnership.org.

Medium Term Objectives

This vision is articulated in the following twelve specific medium-term objectives. These objectives don’t attempt cover every angle of Bristol as a healthy city but reflect the emerging priorities of the organisations who have participated in the group. All of the projects backed by Health and Wellbeing Action Group for projects in 2015 work toward one or more of these.

1. Creating a Culture of Resilience. Across the diversity of groups in Bristol, life is richer where people enjoy good diets, physical exercise and a sense of both personal empowerment and interdependent community. People understand the importance of staying well, helping themselves in simple conditions and making appropriate use of health services. The “Five Ways of Wellbeing” are widely understood and adopted: Connecting, Learning, Activity, Noticing and Giving.

Vision: I, II, III, IV, VII                   BCGP themes: Resilience, Education, Inclusion

2. Workplace Wellbeing. Employers in the state, private and voluntary sectors recognise the value of initiatives that enhance the physical and mental well-being of their employees with a particular focus on reducing workplace stress and back pain. Bristol is recognised nationally as having below average time lost to ill health and employers recognised for their ability to attract and retain staff.

Vision: I, II, III         BCGP themes:  Resilience, Business, New Economy, Food

3. The Social Prescription. The health and social care practitioners of the city have full knowledge of and easy access to a range of options for the prevention and care of physical and mental health problems which are non-pharmaceutical, low-carbon and designed to enhance personal and community resilience. These include the domains of diet, exercise, social and environmental engagement, complementary medicine and mindfulness.

Vision: I, II, IV          BCGP themes: Food, Nature, Transport, Inclusion

4. Sustainability Leadership. The doctors, nurses and managers in Bristol’s health and social care services (especially BCCG, AWP, UHBristol, BCC and NBT) recognise environmental sustainability as a core part of their business. Sustainability initiatives exist at all levels in these organisations. Sustainability is seen to be relevant to all projects undertaken. These organisations become a beacon for others in the city around sustainable practice.

Vision: IV, V, VI       BCGP themes:  Energy; Waste; Transport; Business; Built Environment

5. Well-Being through Inclusion. Bristol as a city is known for making an effort to reach out to groups and individuals who may face the hazards of social exclusion and isolation. Particular emphasis is given to including older persons in the life of the city and those living with dementia.

Vision: II, III, IV, VII                BCGP themes: Inclusion, Resilience

6. The Urban Environment for Health and Well-Being. Public housing and health-related buildings in the city are noted for the ways in which they work to enhance the well-being of those who use them. Green spaces are preserved and enhanced and urban spaces are improved with respect to pedestrianisation, street furniture and planting. Urban design takes account of the special needs of children, older persons and persons living with disability and dementia.

Vision: I, III                BCGP themes: Built Environment, Nature, Waste

7. 7. Talking about the End of Life. Residents of Bristol feel able to talk to their health care providers about end of life care. The taboos around the discussion of death are loosened. People are increasingly aware of the sustainability implications of different burial options. Health care providers routinely discuss with patients the implications of interventions at the end of life.

Vision: II                     BCGP themes: Inclusion

8. Access to Nature. Bristol is blessed with a reasonable amount of green spaces in and around the city. Helping people access and appreciate the natural world will make a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of its citizens.

Vision: I, II, III, IV, VII              BCGP themes: Nature, Built Envo

9. Travel Healthy. Increasing the levels of walking, cycling and active transport improves health and reduces carbon emissions. It creates a healthier environment and calmer, slower living space.

Vision: I, II, III, IV       BCGP themes:  Transport, Built Environment, Business, Education

10. Smart Pharma. Medicines are only prescribed when clearly indicated. The benefits of prescriptions are regularly reviewed and ineffective treatments curtailed. Patients do not over-order or hoard medication. Unused medicines are returned for reuse or recycling (especially inhalers).

Vision: IV, VI      BCGP themes:  Waste

11. Energy and other Resource Use by Healthcare Organisations. Healthcare buildings lead the city in terms of their energy efficiency which comes from insulation, changes to heating systems, double-glazing and the use of renewables local and through green tariffs. Water is not wasted. These organisations become a beacon for others in the city around sustainable practice.

Vision: VI      BCGP themes:  Waste, Energy, Business, Transport

12. Sustainable Procurement. Healthcare organisations use their huge buying power to procure goods that have the low environmental impact. Nearly all GP practices use Fair Trade products. Hospitals only buy ethically sourced goods.

Vision: VI      BCGP themes:  Waste, Energy, New Economy