Centre for Sustainable Health Care are Hiring!

This is an exciting new role and will be part of the NHS Forest and CSH Green Team. The Green Space for Health Project Lead will lead on our Trees Call to Action funded project, expanding the NHS Forest, coordinating bespoke ecological advice to NHS sites, and assessing the NHS green estate to ensure it is being used to its full potential.

• Home-based with monthly travel to Oxford and some travel to sites within the UK
• Full time (37.5 hours per week)
• Salary: £34,000 per annum
• Fixed term contract – October 2023 – March 2025, with a view to extend subject to funding

Apply by 9am Monday 9th October, interviews will take place on Thursday 19th October.

About the role

The Green Space for Health Project Lead will build partnerships with environmental organisations and healthcare representatives to strengthen the relationship between the NHS Forest and key stakeholders. You will also have the opportunity to influence national policy, through attending national policy forums such as the Green Infrastructure Partnership. You will also contribute to the development and delivery of our new NHS Forest and Green Space training courses.

The post requires someone who is effective in engaging others, with excellent communication skills, a good understanding of biodiversity, conservation and nature recovery, a strong commitment to climate action and the ability to get things done.

Responsibilities will include: 

1. Delivering a programme to facilitate planting 11,000 trees at NHS sites, including liaising with health organisations and tree suppliers, providing advice and information, and monitoring and reporting on programme progress
2. Coordinating the delivery of ecological advice on trees and woodlands to the NHS
3. Working with NHS Forest advisory board to design and deliver horizon-scanning work on the state of and future of the NHS green estate
4. Collaborating with new and existing partners to build the reach and influence of the NHS Forest programme
5. Maintaining and update the NHS Forest evidence database, preparing research and policy summaries for the website
6. Researching and reviewing relevant documents and contribute to national policy forums
7. Communicating about the NHS Forest and Green Space for Health Programme to a wide range of audiences, including giving presentations at conferences, webinars and other events
8. Working with the Green Space for Health Director and education teams on developing and delivering Green Space for Health training courses
9. Working with the Green Space for Health Engagement, Marketing and Communications Lead to contribute to developing and running the annual NHS Forest conference, coordinating the annual NHS Forest award scheme, and researching and writing news stories, case studies, blogs and other good practice materials for the NHS Forest website and newsletter
10. Contributing to the future development of the Green Space for Health programme and the NHS Forest programme, including the development of new projects as opportunities arise
11. Contributing to the Green Space for Health team activities and wider work across CSH as required

How to apply 

Please see the full job description attached.

To apply, please email your CV and a cover letter, explaining how your skills and experience match this role to info@sustainablehealthcare.org.uk(link sends e-mail)
Your cover letter should detail how you fit the Person Specification and be no longer than two pages long. Your application will be assessed solely by how well you fit these requirements and to what extent you demonstrate your experience and/or knowledge of the tasks you will be required to complete as part of the role.

For any questions, please contact info@sustainablehealthcare.org.uk(link sends e-mail)

Closing date: 9am Monday 9th October 

Volunteers from Blaen Bran community woodland have played an active part in a new tree planting initiative based in Torfaen, SE Wales. The ‘Branching Out’ project brings together key officers from Torfaen Council and leads from the local housing association, Bron Afon Community Housing to identify small areas of land where trees could be planted,

This followed Blaen Bran Community Woodland (BBCW) involvement in the pilot phase of the ‘My Tree, Our Forest’ Welsh Government project, as several of those collecting trees had asked about whether there might be communal spaces where trees could be planted.  

BBCW and Llais y Goedwig board member, Dave Williams, was elected as a Torfaen councillor in May 2022, and in this role he was able to bring together different councillor colleagues to support this initiative. BBCW volunteer Kris Thobroe had been successful in getting a paid position in the Torfaen Council countryside team, so he was willing and able to ‘check out’ potential sites on the ground. Bron Afon community housing were keen to see more trees in community areas – so it was a ‘win, win’ opportunity – with 30 initial sites identified, and now more being nominated by members of the public.

Definitely a case of some branching out from My Tree, Our Forest!

The Llais y Goedwig Policy Advisory Group held it’s first meeting this year in early April, with Community Woodland Group members, Associate members and LlyG staff and directors attending to pool ideas and expertise to help raise the profile of Community Woodlands in the policy arena in Wales.The group will be meeting regularly over the coming months with plans to:

• Deliver party specific messages to all members of the new Senedd outlining the benefits of Community Woodlands and key messages from Llais y Goedwig member groups.
• Contribute to upcoming regional and national forums, debates and consultations.
• Cupport members to connect with their local decision-makers by collating and providing information and contacts.

If you would like to take part in Advisory Group meetings or have the chance to contribute to debates and consultations, contact policy@llaisygoedwig.org.uk for more information

Draft Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill – is draft legislation to strengthen and promote consistency in the Welsh system of social partnership, to deliver fair work outcomes, and to ensure socially responsible public procurement. The consultation closes on 23rd April 2021.

The consultation is important for us as Community Woodland Group members to underline the need for consolidation of social partnerships and the of consistent application of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act across Wales, leading to a connected system of social partnerships at local regional and national levels. Another aspect it is going to be important for us to support and advocate for is the need for socially responsible public procurement, where local and social benefits are considered as part of value for money exercises in place of lowest cost exercises.

Llais y Goedwig will be submitting a consultation response on behalf of the network. If you would like to submit your own response, see the link below, and if you send us a copy of your response to policy@llaisygoedwig.org.uk by 22nd April we’ll make sure we incorporate your messages into the joint response. Link to consultation documents https://gov.wales/draft-social-partnership-and-public… We’ve created an advice note with some things to think about in the most relevant questions – https://llaisygoedwig.org.uk/…/Social-Partnership-and…