Our Policy and Programme Manager for Nature and Wellbeing, Emma Dagless, reflects on her first three months working at Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation...
"After three months in post, it’s a good time to reflect on my role as Policy and Programme Manager – Nature and Wellbeing. With the new strategic priority to “Promote access to nature to improve people’s wellbeing, and enhance biodiversity”, this is a fantastic time to join the Foundation. This is a role I am passionate about and I am really excited about bringing it to life in a way that makes a real difference to Letchworth and the people who live here.
It’s fair to say that the first three months have been busy, in a very positive way! Starting with the Foundation's social enterprises, I have met families enjoying holiday activities at Broadway Gallery, helped out at Standalone Farm and enjoyed popcorn and a film at Broadway Cinema. When it comes to nature, I have discovered it is a reoccurring theme at all of these venues. I am particularly interested in the Little Green Cinema, which is a new venture, suggested by a local group, to show monthly films with an environmental focus.
Going out and about I have visited green spaces in the sun and the rain. I have gardened, been on a health walk and enjoyed arts and crafts. I have spoken to charities, businesses and other organisations who run activities with a health, wellbeing or nature focus and have been made to feel very welcome. As we move into autumn, I am looking forward to continuing my outings and meeting more people, while at the same time enjoying the autumn colour and crunching though leaves. As part of this, I am using a survey to collect some initial data to help us map out the current provision of spaces and activities with a nature and/or wellbeing focus and understand how different communities access these spaces and activities. For those who I don’t get the opportunity to meet in person there is an online form that you can complete, it is anonymous and takes about 10 minutes.
Proximity to nature, through tree lined streets, a network of parks and play areas and convenient access to footpaths and the wider countryside are part of the Letchworth fabric. Nature was abundant when the Garden City was first established, and so did not feature heavily in the design plans. Now that it is in decline across the UK, I am excited about being able to help protect and enhance the natural resource that belongs to the town.
While the knowledge that nature is good for health and wellbeing in not new, it is now backed up by a growing number of studies. These are providing clear evidence that contact with nature can improve cardiovascular conditions, reduce the chemicals associated with stress in the body, promote healing, improve stress and anxiety, boost mood and improve sleep and mental ability. So, by caring for nature, we care for ourselves. This makes sense as the human species is very much part of, and not separate from, nature.
My aim is to engage with Letchworth organisations and the wider community so that together we can promote connection to good quality nature in a meaningful way, using both our outdoor and indoor resources and focusing on people who maybe have the most to gain in terms of their health and wellbeing. When we face the inevitable up and down of life, I hope that connection to nature will become a trusted coping strategy for us all, and this in turn will allow nature to flourish."
