Fairfield General Hospital’s green spaces will be given a new lease of life after a funding boost.
NorthCare Charity, which supports NHS services in Bury and neighbouring boroughs, has received £40,000 from the Greater Manchester Green Spaces Fund.
The money will allow the charity to revitalise Fairfield General’s green spaces to “benefit the staff, patients, and their families visiting the hospital and the wider community”.
The charity says the project has “immense potential, and the team are excited to see the positive impact it will have on our community”.
Charity, the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, has pointed out that green spaces on healthcare sites speed up post-surgery recovery, reduce the need for pain medication, and improve patients' physical and mental health outcomes as well as the wellbeing of hospital staff.
With the funding, the team say it can “create an accessible green space that will encourage residents to get involved in nature recovery, from volunteering opportunities to building green skills”.
READ NEXT > Expansion works at Fairfield General Hospital's A&E 'progressing well'
NorthCare Charity fundraising officer Emma Heinicke said: "We are delighted to have secured £40,000 of Green Spaces funding to benefit our services in Bury.
"Not only will this improve the visual appeal of the hospital site, but there is also plenty of research to demonstrate the huge positive effect that green spaces can have on outcomes for our patients, as well as providing a positive atmosphere for staff and local residents.
“We're so excited to start working on the project and documenting our progress as it comes to life."
READ NEXT > Popular national pizza chain plans to open new restaurant in town
Auto Trader has backed the project as part of its ongoing partnership with the Greater Manchester Environment Fund, which brings together communities and funding bodies keen to channel their resources into tackling environmental problems.
READ NEXT > The UK’s first practical fire door training centre opens in Bury
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the Bury Times morning newsletter as well as our breaking news alerts
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham added: "The natural environment is critical to the health of Greater Manchester's communities and the prosperity of our economy.
“That's why we put the environment at the heart of our Greater Manchester Strategy – our vision for a greener, fairer, more prosperous city region.
"The projects backed by the Green Spaces Fund over the last year and a half are always brilliant and demonstrate the creativity and passion of residents across the city region wanting to make Greater Manchester a better, and crucially, greener, place to live.
“These projects ensure everyone can access the benefits of green spaces, for both individuals and communities, and I look forward to these latest projects taking shape."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here