THE chair of the Government’s Health and Social Care Committee, Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, has given her support to the Church Times Green Health Awards.
The awards, new this year, are for any church-related scheme that uses green space and gardening to promote health in the community. The awards will be made at the Green Health Live conference at Lambeth Palace on 2 October. The top prize is £2000.
Dr Wollaston writes: “This is a terrific idea, and I wish you well in this project, which I will share with gardening-for-health schemes in my own area.” She will also inform other members of the committee.
The Worshipful Company of Glovers has promised 50 pairs of gardening gloves to the winning entrants.
At the launch of the awards in May, the chair of the judges, the Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Revd James Newcome, who is the lead bishop on health care, said: “These awards support a vital part of the Church’s mission, and can make a real difference to the well-being of those in communities across the country.”
The awards are being run in partnership with the Church of England, the Guild of Health and St Raphael, and the Conservation Foundation, with additional support from the Mercers’ Company, the Mind and Soul Foundation, and the Allchurches Trust.
The director of grants and relationships at Allchurches Trust, James Laing, said this week: “We have supported a wide range of ‘green’ projects run by churches aimed at boosting health and happiness, from sensory outdoor spaces for people with dementia to prayer gardens at primary schools.
“We are also proud to be partnering the Cinnamon Network in carrying out and sharing research into the Church’s impact on health and care, which has revealed how much churches are bringing to their local area in terms of funds, time, ideas, and relationships to improve health and well-being.
“Similarly, the Church Times Green Health Awards will recognise the fantastic projects our churches are delivering and share them as examples of best practice, giving other churches throughout the UK a footprint to follow.”
Click here for details of how to enter. The deadline for entries is 31 July.