Spring is in the air at the Becton Centre

Patients staying at the Becton Centre joined staff from across Sheffield Children’s – including members of the Green Group – started planting a selection of saplings to grow around the Becton as part of the NHS Forest project.

Together the patients and colleagues planted nine tree saplings, including varieties of Wild Cherry, Crab Apple, Beech, Hazel and Rowan trees.

Increasing the amount of green spaces close to patients and colleagues can have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing and the team are looking to add to the number of trees next year.

Phillip Branford, Environmental & Sustainability Officer said: “Trees help to stop climate change as they absorb carbon dioxide which is what causes climate change. By planting more trees we increase the amount of carbon dioxide they can absorb and help stop climate change.

“We also want to do this to increase the wildlife – including birds and insects – that lives in trees.”

The NHS Forest is a project coordinated by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, and funded by charitable trusts and corporate and individual sponsorship. So far, over 67,000 trees have been planted across the country.

It is just one of the projects that the Green Group have taken on in a bid to reduce Sheffield Children’s carbon footprint and make the Trust more sustainable. They are also looking into other areas including waste and recycling, single use plastic reduction and encouraging colleagues to cycle and walk more.

To find out more about the NHS Forest project, visit their website: https://nhsforest.org/