Bristol’s inaugural Healthy City Week will take place from the 10^th – 18^th October 2015, aiming to inspire citizens of Bristol to achieve healthier lifestyles as part of a more sustainable future city. Over 100 events can be found across Bristol over the 10 days, each promoting the idea of wellbeing that doesn’t cost the earth. There will be a diverse range of talks, seminars, workshops, open days and taster sessions exploring the links between health and sustainability.

View the full programme here or download the Healthy City Week Timetable.

To launch the week, Bristol 2015 Lab Space will be host to a ‘Weekend Takeover’ on 10^th and 11^th October, where visitors can enjoy half-hourly engaging demos and taster sessions from health practitioners, community groups and environmental organisations. There will also be ‘Big Green Chair’ talks from inspiring local leaders, plus yoga, qi gong and other drop-in sessions.

Bristol Health Hub in Cotham will be hosting three full days of free taster sessions, events and workshops to explore a variety of ways to achieve wellbeing. Plus, in various locations across Bristol there will be free workshops, walks and talks linked to food, energy, nature, resources and transport – from a Goodgym run to being a farmer for the day with The Community Farm, classes with Yogasara, to cycling in nature with TravelWest and Lifecycle.

Health organisations will be addressing sustainability throughout the week, with Wellspring Healthy Living Centre, Penny Brohn Cancer Care and local hospitals opening their doors to showcase what is being done to reduce their environmental impact, and to share their approaches to environment, sustainability, health and wellbeing. Additionally, the ‘Workplace Wellbeing Week Pack’ and Health Creation @ Work initiatives launching in Healthy City Week will offer businesses and organisations a great opportunity help raise awareness of the importance of health and wellbeing in creating a more sustainable workforce. Anne Sheekey, Co-Founder of the Workplace Wellbeing Week Pack, adds “We will be linking up with existing initiatives including Go Green and the Bristol City Council Workplace Wellbeing Charter to spread this free guide to as many organisations as possible and help you implement positive changes within your workplaces.”

The programme includes a series of talks and conversations at OpenSpace that share innovative solutions, address key challenges and encourage collaboration in healthcare and sustainability. Speakers include the West of England Nature Partnership, Dr David Pencheon, Director of the NHS Sustainable Development Unit and Dr William Bird MBE. Bristol City Council’s Healthy Urban Team will be asking ‘Is Bristol a Healthy City? Discuss!’ in an interactive session, we’ll explore corporate leadership for healthy urban development, and SHINE, a Bristol Health Partners Health Integration Team, will be sharing their aims to develop an evidence-based ‘checklist’ for supporting healthy inclusive neighbourhood environments. In the final weekend, there will be an innovative hackathon style ‘Make It’ weekend that brings together patients and the public, health and care service providers, designers, artists and developers to develop collaborative sustainable health solutions.

Healthy City Week emerged from Bristol Green Capital Partnership’s Health and Wellbeing Group as an opportunity to showcase local sustainability and healthcare initiatives during Bristol’s year as European Green Capital, and to raise awareness of the links between our personal health and the health of our environment. The programme of events covers a variety of topics and themes that fall under the health and wellbeing agenda, with contributors from all health sectors from the mainstream to complementary practitioners. The week also celebrates Healthy City Week’s flagship programme, ‘Kitchen on Prescription’, and the launch of Portland Centre for Integrative Medicine who are coordinating the programme.

Hear more in this 2 minute video made by our Partners at the Bristol 2015 company:

 

Dr Elizabeth Thompson, Chief Executive Officer and Homeopathic Consultant comments: “The Portland Centre for Integrative Medicine has been delighted to be part of the Partnership’s Health and Wellbeing group, and to have won a Bristol 2015 grant to coordinate the ‘Kitchen on Prescription’ initiative. In Healthy City Week we will be celebrating the work of KOP so far and transforming KOP as a mainstream health offer across Bristol. We’ll also be celebrating the delivery of PCIM NHS and private services from our new home in Litfield medical centre in Clifton, with public lectures and a health care seminar all with a focus on lifestyle and holistic approaches to support health and wellbeing.”

Liz Zeidler, Chair of Bristol Green Capital Partnership, says “We would like to thank everyone who has given so much time and effort to create this exceptional week of events and activities. Putting on such a Programme was only possible due to the energy and engagement of so many local organisations and groups who have offered events, activities and projects that add up to what we hope will be the first annual Healthy City Week.”

Healthy City Week is a brand new initiative 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

The open call out for programme contributions closed earlier this year, but there will be many opportunities to participate and attend events during Healthy City Week – find out more here.

Please share your thoughts, events and activities on social media using the hashtag #HealthyBristol

Find the full Healthy City Week 2015 programme here or download the Healthy City Week Timetable