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The East of England Ambulance Service Charity has been awarded £24,486 to create a new wellbeing garden at Peterborough ambulance station, providing ambulance staff with a dedicated outdoor space to rest and recharge during demanding shifts.
The project will transform an underused outdoor area into a purpose-built sanctuary designed to support staff mental health and wellbeing. The garden will also encourage biodiversity and attract wildlife, contributing to a healthier and more positive working environment.
The Peterborough site will become the 16th wellbeing garden established with support from the charity. Fifteen similar spaces are already in use across the region, created through donations and grant funding aimed at improving wellbeing across East of England Ambulance Service sites.
The funding forms part of a £500,000 programme distributed by NHS Charities Together to 15 NHS charities across the UK. The initiative will support the creation and enhancement of green spaces that benefit NHS staff, patients and local communities. Evaluation from earlier rounds found 96% of surveyed patients said access to green spaces improved their wellbeing, while 79% of staff reported it helped them cope with workplace challenges.
The scheme is delivered in partnership with environmental charity Hubbub and Starbucks through the Greener Communities Fund. It aims to address the unequal access to green space across the UK. While research suggests eight in ten people feel healthier and more energetic after spending time in nature, around one in five people in the UK still live in areas without easy access to green spaces.
Kate Lott, Head of Charity at East of England Ambulance Service Charity, said the funding would make a meaningful difference for frontline staff.
“We’re incredibly grateful to be awarded this funding. It will enable us to transform an underutilised outdoor area into a purpose-built wellbeing garden, providing staff with a peaceful space to rest and recharge throughout their demanding shifts.”
Kate Lott.
The project also reflects wider concerns about growing pressures on the NHS as people live longer with increasingly complex health conditions. At the same time, health inequalities continue to widen, highlighting the role that community initiatives and local environments can play in supporting wellbeing.
Ellie Orton OBE, Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together, said improving access to green space was an important part of supporting health across the country.
“Access to green spaces and the benefits that this brings to our health and wellbeing should not be something limited to a lucky few, but available to everyone across the UK no matter where they live. This latest round of funding, in partnership with Starbucks and Hubbub, will build on our achievements and learnings to date and enable even more NHS charities to create and enhance access to green spaces that support the physical and mental health of NHS staff, patients and local communities.”
Ellie Orton OBE.
Gavin Ellis, Director and Co-Founder at Hubbub, said the fund also has environmental benefits beyond wellbeing.
“This fund has potential to make a positive difference not just to people’s wellbeing, but also to the environment. As well as the direct environmental impact of more green spaces, studies have shown that spending time in nature makes people more likely to make environmentally friendly lifestyle choices.”
He added that working with NHS charities and local delivery partners would help ensure the projects are implemented effectively.
Starbucks, which is supporting the fund, said the initiative highlights the importance of green space for both staff and the communities they serve.
Phil Peacock, Loyalty, Partnerships and Digital Lead at Starbucks, said: “Green space can make a real difference for NHS staff, the patients they care for, and local communities across the UK, creating calm places for rest, recovery and healthy lives. We’re proud to play a part in helping more of these spaces come to life.”
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