Feel Good in the Forest: working with Havering Council and Gateshead Council

The programme was developed to address:

• inequalities in access to and engagement with nature (Britain is one of the least ‘nature connected’ nations in the world )
• levels of inactivity (one in four people do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week ) with levels of inactivity higher in people with disabilities and long-term health conditions than non-disabled individuals.

Forestry England worked with Sport England to select forests near to communities of greatest need (where access to nature and inactivity were issues).

• Thames Chase Community Woodlands is a collection of woodlands in the London Borough of Havering, in the North East of Greater London. They serve communities with high inactivity (>32 per cent), an aging population (28–32 per cent over 60), and growing child poverty (28 per cent of children and young people in Havering).
• Chopwell Wood is located near the village of Chopwell, in Gateshead. Overall, Gateshead is the 47th most deprived local authority in England, out of 317 local authorities. Around 32,700 (16 per cent) people in Gateshead live in one of the 10 per cent most deprived areas of England. 

Through partnership working with Havering Council and Gateshead Council, Forestry England’s Feel Good in the Forest programme has supported public health strategy and delivery. For example:

Thames Chase Community Woodland and Havering Council: 

• Healthy Weight Strategy: Feel Good in the Forest is part of this strategy, outlining People, Place, Resource. Our offering is highlighted within the People section as a signpost to support physical wellbeing in nature.
• Live Well Havering Partnership Network: Forestry England hosted the first Live Well Havering Partnership Network meeting in person at Thames Chase Forest, attended by over 60 staff from local authority, NHS and voluntary services.
• Outreach nature-based talks: using virtual nature resources, we’ve taken the forest into community settings such as Warm Hubs and food banks
• Bespoke forest days for local authority teams have delivered wellbeing benefits to staff and encouraged referrals and signposting to nature-based activities.

Chopwell Wood and Gateshead Council: 

• Making Every Contact Count (MECC) Training: Forestry England staff and volunteers completed MECC training, led by Gateshead Public Health Team, to boost confidence in health conversations; we co-produced a forest-based training video showing how everyday conversations can support wellbeing. Local service info is included in welcome packs and displayed in Chopwell’s indoor space
• blood pressure monitoring: As part of Gateshead’s Healthy Hearts initiative, volunteers at Chopwell Wood were trained to take visitors’ blood pressure and offer wellbeing advice
• Better Health at Work Awards: We hosted the awards ceremony and regularly support the programme with nature-based physical activity sessions
• Feel Good Health Day: In partnership with Public Health, we hosted a health day featuring the Melissa Bus, health stands, and woodland activities; we also attend Melissa Bus events across the borough
• Code Breakers Challenge: Each summer, we host this family activity to encourage outdoor exploration and physical activity.
• Colour Run: Co-developed with OutNorthEast and Public Health, this Pride-focused event was Gateshead’s first Colour Run and is now in its second year
• strategic engagement: Forestry England is part of the Sector Led Improvement Board for Physical activity and Healthy Weight Alliance.

Forestry England’s work with Havering Council and Gateshead Council has acted as a catalyst to build new local partnerships across the green social prescribing and health sectors.

Impact of participants and communities: 

• over the past four years our partnership delivery at Chopwell Wood, with Gateshead Council, has engaged more than 750 participants
• our relationship with Havering Council is a more recent one, but has already generated outreach opportunities increasing awareness of Feel Good in the Forest within communities across Havering
• participants report increased confidence, improved wellbeing, and a stronger connection to nature. One attendee at an event at Chopwell Wood shared: “I’m out of the house, I’ve seen some sky, trees and greenery. I’m with good friends. I feel human again.” 

Impact on system change:

• forests are now ‘on the radar’ of local public health teams:
  • Patrick Odling-Smee, Director of Live Well Havering, called Forestry England’s work at Thames Chase “an amazing resource for the people of Havering.”

Gateshead Public Health have gained knowledge, partnerships, and expertise from working with the staff in Chopwell Woods, to showcase to communities the benefits of being active in nature."
Louise Harlanderson, Public Health Programme Lead, Gateshead Public Health said of the partnership with Forestry England

The relationship between local forest and local authority teams continues at both forest sites. By working together, we can combine resources and connect communities with nature, physical activity and other public health services available locally. We have plans 

There has been huge value in bringing local authority teams into the forest. Hosting days for local authority staff teams and partner organisations has created meaningful engagement, strengthened relationships and helped everyone understand the opportunities to work together to support people’s wellbeing through nature connection. All organisations being open to new ideas and flexible to delivery has enabled us to align our goals and work together in a landscape of changing staffing, funding and provision.

Having funding from Sport England and Forestry England over a prolonged period of time has enabled Forestry England to provide consistency and allowed us to develop relationships of trust with organisations, communities and individuals. This is often impossible when projects are funded for very short periods of time.

As we see time and again, the forest connects people – whether that’s visitors, communities or organisations. It’s a space of inspiration, hope and growth – which is exactly what our work with Havering Council and Gateshead Council has been all about."

Ellen Devine, Wellbeing Projects Manager, Forestry England

Email: [email protected] 
 

• Active Forests evaluation: social prescribing pilot: the evaluation report for the pilot phase, completed by Forest Research Research. A full evaluation of Feel Good in the Forest 2023-2026 will be available in 2026.
• Active Forests evaluation: Phase 3 ‘Removing Barriers’: case studies from the current delivery
• Feel Good in the Forest
• Email: [email protected]