Positively Green

The Mustard Tree Macmillan Cancer support centre is a hub of psychological and physiological support for cancer patients and their families. We caught up with Helen a physiotherapist, Annie a horticultural therapist and Ellie a counsellor to find out about the green prescribing courses they offer.

Being such a large organisation with many different clinical pathways and administration processes, we rely on eagle eyed Green Champions to spot where sustainable changes could be made. One such champ is Edward who works in the prepping team for Orthopaedics and Rheumatology.

At first glance, women’s rights and the fight against climate change are two separate issues, but since the 1960s, the ecofeminist movement has been highlighting how gender inequality intersects with the environmental crisis.

UHP’s bimonthly Sustainability Sub-Committee always features a sustainability success story delivered by a member of staff. During February’s sub-committee we were delighted to hear from our Therapies manager who explained the Trust’s process for reusing and recycling walking aids such as crutches.

If you’re struggling to commit to your intensive New Year exercise routine, it might be worth taking up walking instead. Why not pledge to park at the George Park and Ride and walk down to the hospital? Embrace your inner Anne Elliot and repeat after us: ‘“I walk: I prefer walking”’.

We know that lots of colleagues have limited access to emails and screen time. As a result, the Team has launched a ‘Green Board’ scheme. Each month, we’ll put together a pack of posters, pdfs, and flyers that staff can pin to noticeboards, post to their Teams/Whatsapp chats and put in pigeonholes.

If you’re feeling the January blues, be comforted by the thought that nature is still, for the most part, lying dormant. Does it make sense to try new things and make big changes to our lives whilst the natural world around us sleeps? 

Little acts by each one of us can add up to big changes for the worrying impact of petrol and diesel air pollution. Most of us have no choice but to travel to work each day, but there are alternatives to using your car that could go someway to cutting down the toxic air pollution around Derriford Hospital and the wider city.

Homeworking and the free park and ride by the George has slightly eased congestion on the site, but the Estates and Facilities directorate are keen to find out what else staff would appreciate having onsite to make their lives easier and reduce carbon emissions in the process.

Departmental budget holders will be all too aware of the need to save money wherever it is safe to do so. We think fitting out workspaces with second hand gems via Warp it could be a perfect way to save those precious pennies.