North Ayrshire Green Health Partnership Blog December 2020

Hello everyone, David here. December is here and before I finish up before the winter break, I wanted to share some reflections on the past year. This year has simultaneously felt like it has lasted forever and at the same time disappeared before our eyes in a blink. I can not believe in less than a month it is going to be 2021! There has been struggles and triumphs for the Green Health Partnership this year. March to April we had to completely stop work on some of our projects and change how we approach our roles, to try and deliver some positivity and joy to the communities of North Ayrshire. At the end of April I went on Furlough and a lot of our work halted until I returned. The landscape of our communities and lives were very different then to what I returned to in July. In July we returned to as much of our “normal” roles within the North Ayrshire GHP and there was so much positivity and enthusiasm for what the future holds.

One of the highlights of my year was returning from furlough and gathering a picture of the role Green Health and the communities groups/organisations had played in helping their communities battle the issues faced with COVID-19 since March. The responses I received were so heart-warming and immediately re-energised me for the rest of the year. So as we slowly returned to our roles, we could reflect on how communities rallied to the needs of those around it. Whether it be delivering Green Health packs/activities to children in community hubs, to those most vulnerable having to self-isolate or online via social media. Community gardens and allotments sacrificing their food produce so that it went to those in need via the community hubs. There was a plethora of stories of triumph and resolve that I was delighted to read and promote to illustrate the strength of Green Health within our society and the benefits it could bring in a time of crisis for so many.

Since July we have released a report on our Green Health Development Fund 2018/2019 and our Annual Highlight Report Year 2 – demonstrating the strength of local community as stated above. The Annual Highlight Report really demonstrates the breadth and quality of work that the North Ayrshire GHP has accomplished within a year that has thrown so much of what we do in to doubt. I highly recommend reading it to not only find out the variety of work that we do, but to see those examples I spoke about earlier.

Our Green Health Development Fund Report 2018/2019 reflects on all the positive work that the £30,000 allocated to grass roots Green Health accomplished. It also has key learning and discussion that we have been able to utilise for our new Green Health Development Fund 2020/2021. We are currently in the process of the Green Health Development Fund 2020/2021 and hope that it will deliver quality Green Health projects for the communities in North Ayrshire.

There is still time! The Conservation Volunteers Community Network is still FREE up until the end of the year 2020. If you apply now you still get a full year free from when you start and you are not tied into it for the following year! Why wouldn’t you want to try it out. Well use this link to find out about the benefits. Your annual free membership entitles you to the following:

  • Discounted public liability and personal accident insurance
  • Exclusive access to TCV’s Community Network website; created to provide our Community Network Members with the support they need in one, easy to access, place.
  • A range of discounts from TCV’s suppliers of tools, trees, seeds and equipment.
  • Funding Support – TCV can help groups find funding through Grantfinder or Chestnut Fund
  • Discounted access to our online conservation handbooks – the definitive guides to managing the countryside and green spaces.
  • As well as some other great benefits

Moving forward in to 2021 there is a lot of great projects and opportunities for the North Ayrshire GHP and with Green Health. A common thread of conversations I have had since March has been around the renewed appreciation and passion people have for quality experiences outdoors. The natural environment has always played an important role within my life and was such a key escape during the multiple Lockdowns and Tiers I have been in since March. I know this is reflective of others that work in environmental conservation/health sector. However, I feel it brought the importance of our greenspaces into the mainstream attention of everyone as it was the one aspect of our lives during the harshest of lockdowns that we could still access. There were some who could not due to their vulnerability which makes it even more important for those. Not only access to greenspaces, but also our Green Health projects across North Ayrshire, how grateful people are that they are back up and running in some capacity. Hopefully, this helps us to push the conversation towards more support, new opportunities and promotion of Green Health in North Ayrshire.

If you want to know more about the details of the Blog, TCV Community Network Membership or any of our wider GHP work get in contact with me on d.meechan@tcv.org.uk or 07773200525.