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Our Charity Fund has been awarded a grant of £143,000 by the Greener Communities Fund to create and improve green spaces for the benefit of our staff, patients and local communities. 

We’ve been named one of eight NHS charities across the UK to receive a share of over £1 million. The Greener Communities Fund is a partnership between environmental charity Hubbub and NHS Charities Together, funded by the Starbucks 5p cup charge.

Oxleas in Bloom will develop a mosaic of wildlife habitats across a 7.5-hectare site at the Memorial Hospital in Greenwich. Aiming for completion by February 2026, the project is designed to significantly increase overall biodiversity, and provide an engaging and safe space for therapy and wellbeing activities.  

Research commissioned by the Greener Communities Fund in November 2023 found that:

• Eight in ten of us (80%) find spending time in green spaces makes us feel healthier and more energetic, while 70% of us report improved mental and physical health after spending time outdoors
• Benefits include improved mood (75%), immune benefits (36%), sleeping more soundly (28%) and feeling less stressed (38%)

Rachel Evans, Director of Estates at Oxleas said: 

I’m really looking forward to seeing this project progress. It’s great news for everyone and the environment at Memorial Hospital.

"We recognise the importance and tremendous impact access to wildlife and outdoor spaces can have on our mental and physical health. 

“I’d like to congratulate colleagues who were successful in achieving this grant, without which, we would not be able to provide this space for local people.

A report into the benefits of targeted green social prescribing by The Wildlife Trust in July 2023 revealed that the NHS could save £625m a year by prescribing time in nature.