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Cheshire's Natural Health Service Programme offers a unique and refreshing approach to kickstart your journey to a healthier, happier you.
  

• Connecting with nature – Cheshire's Natural Health Servic programme encourages individuals to immerse themselves in the beauty of the natural world. Whether it's a serene woodland walk, taking part in some gardening activities or simply pausing to appreciate the stillness of nature during an outdoor mindfulness session, the program emphasises the therapeutic power of the outdoors.
   
• Physical activity in green spaces - engaging in physical activity surrounded by nature is a cornerstone of the programme. From invigorating walks around Marbury Park to healthy conservation sessions that allow people of all abilities to get involved and get active while helping the local environment, the Mersey Forest provides a diverse range of opportunities to get active. Exercise in natural settings has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and boost overall fitness.
   
• Mindful moments - The New Year often prompts reflections on mental well-being. Cheshire's Natural Health Service encourages mindfulness and meditation amidst the tranquillity of a woodland or greenspace. Mindful moments in nature can enhance mental clarity, reduce stress, and promote a sense of inner calm. 
   
• Embrace the seasons - The Natural Health Service programme runs throughout the year, whatever the weather. It provides a great opportunity to watch the seasons change and connect you more with natures natural cycles, something many of us have come disconnected from, as we spend more of our lives indoors. 
   
• Social connections - The community aspect of the Natural Health Service is invaluable. Joining the programme provides opportunities to connect with others in your community who are looking at ways to improve their wellbeing. Social interactions in natural settings foster a sense of belonging and support and many of our regular participants have shared how much they enjoy this aspect of the sessions. 
   
• New Year, new habits - As resolutions are set for the New Year, participating in Cheshire's Natural Health Service Programme provides a unique avenue to develop sustainable, health-focused habits. Whether it's committing to regular nature walks, embracing mindful practices, or incorporating forest-based fitness routines, the programme supports positive lifestyle changes. If you can't make the dates and times, you can still take inspiration from the programme and head out to your local woodland, park or greenspace to get active. Visit our things to do page for some ideas of places to visit.  
   
• Accessible and inclusive - The programme strives to be accessible to everyone. Our programmes and activities are designed to accommodate varying fitness levels and abilities, ensuring that individuals of all ages and backgrounds can participate and enjoy the numerous health benefits. 

A host of dignitaries joined together to plant the 6 millionth tree to mark five years since the start of the ambitious Northern Forest project to link up Liverpool to Hull with trees.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester and Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, joined the planting at Liverpool John Moores University.

Also in attendance were Councillor Karen Shore, Deputy Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council (the accountable body for The Mersey Forest and Trees for Climate programme) and Councillor Barbara Murray from Liverpool City Council who is a member of the Mersey Forest Steering Group.

The university recently conducted an impact assessment* of the Northern Forest which showed around 300,000 households have been given new access to nature since the project started, with the equivalent of more than 4,000 football pitches of trees planted.

Nick Sellwood, the Woodland Trust's Northern Forest Programme Director, said the planting of the 6 millionth tree, on National Tree Week, is an important milestone.

He said: "It's wonderful to see everyone coming together to mark this important milestone. It has been massively rewarding to see the Northern Forest expanding across the north where trees were desperately needed, levelling up tree cover with the south.

"These trees are already helping communities across the M62 corridor in many ways, from combating flooding to providing new areas of nature for people to access.

"We've a long way to go though and need politicians to keep committing to funding so that we can complete this ambitious project"

Paul Nolan, Director of The Mersey Forest and Chair of England's Community Forests, said: "The tree planted today is a symbol of the hard work and commitment of the Northern Forest Partnership and the communities that we work so closely with. Increasing woodland cover across the north will benefit our residents, the environment and economy for years to come and we can't wait to help plant the next six million."

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: "Wildlife is one of our region's most precious natural assets and we need to do everything in our power to not only protect it - but to help it flourish. Every new tree planted makes a huge difference to our communities and, while we might be marking the final milestone today, the roots we've laid down will have a lasting, positive impact on our natural environment. This really is just the start of our journey to revitalising our region's natural biodiversity - from our Local Nature Recovery Strategy, to our £1.3m Community Environment Fund, and our ambitious rewilding plans, we're making great strides to protect our precious ecosystems.

"All of this work has a much bigger role to play in our ambition to reach net zero by 2040 - at least a decade ahead of national government targets - helping us to improve the quality of air our children breathe and secure a greener, cleaner future for the next generation. We're only at the beginning of this journey but I'm confident that, working together, we can make a really positive difference to our people - and our planet."

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: "Green spaces are so important to people's quality of life, our environment and wildlife, and our mental wellbeing. The Northern Forest project is doing great work enhancing our environment, creating and renewing forests and green spaces for generations to come." 

Cllr Karen Shore, Deputy Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: "Increasing tree cover and access to green spaces is vital for communities across the north. The ambitious Northern Forest project has delivered so much for the first five years, and I can't wait to see the benefits it brings for communities, the economy and the environment as it expands further."

The Northern Forest project kicked off in 2018, thanks to a core partnership involving the Woodland Trust and four Community Forests:   Greater Manchester's City of Trees, The Mersey Forest, Humber Forest and the White Rose Forest, and the Community Forest Trust. 

Among its aims were to increase the very low tree cover across the north, which stands at just 7.6 per cent compared to the national average of 13 per cent, and is much lower than most counties in the south. They will achieve this by establishing at least 50 million new trees by 2043, helping to transform the landscape from Liverpool to the Yorkshire Coast.

It also aimed to lock up tonnes of carbon to fight climate change, generate billions of pounds of benefits to communities,  reduce the risk of flooding and create more jobs. It has since expanded through villages, towns and countryside across the north connecting more people with nature.

One beneficiary of new trees in the Northern Forest is Liverpool Parks and Greenspaces, supported by The Mersey Forest.

Owned by Liverpool City Council, over 12 hectares of trees which have been planted to complement wildflower schemes, enhancing a range of recreational facilities across the city including public open spaces, formal and informal parks, schools and sports facilities'. 

The Northern Forest Partnership has hugely benefitted from the Government's Nature for Climate Fund, which has played a major part in funding the 6 million trees planted so far through the Nature for Climate Funded Grow Back Greener and Trees for Climate programmes.

For more on the Northern Forest: www.northernforest.org.uk

Get involved

• Whitby Park, Ellesmere Port. Tuesday mornings from 10am to 12:30pm.
• Griffin Wood, St Helens. Tuesday mornings from 10am until 2pm.

Tree talks

• Mistle-Go! Help us find Britain's mistletoe. Wednesday 29^th November, 1pm until 2pm.
• Oak and Ash – Veterans in Art. Thursday 30^th November, from 1pm to 2pm.
• Trees in your Garden – How to Choose? Friday 1^st December, 1pm until 2pm.

The Mersey Forest team, with the help of the Green Task Force, have been preparing ground ready for planting on a number of sites and the first trees are being planted. 
 
Over the last three years the Mersey Forest has worked with partners and landowners to establish 220 hectares of new woodland across Cheshire and Merseyside through the national Trees for Climate programme. That's the equivalent of filling 11,220 tennis courts with trees.  
 
Although many of these trees are in their infancy now, their impact will be felt far and wide across the region for generations to come. A recent study by Liverpool John Moores University shows that thanks to these newly planted schemes over 47,000 households in the area are within 500m of an accessible wood, with 21% of these homes based in some of the country's most deprived area. 
 
Paul Nolan, Director of The Mersey Forest, said: "We saw over the lockdown period just how important green spaces and woodlands were to people's health and wellbeing. They are spaces for people to connect with nature, places to socialise or to seek a moment of peace in their busy lives. Establishing trees and woodlands that benefit our communities is the essence of Community Forestry and will be what we're focused on over the coming planting season." 
 
The study shows that once established the newly created woodlands could generate over 490,000 recreational visits, with an estimated total value of over £1.5 million per year.   
 
The LJMU study also found the planting will provide the below benefits for the region. 

58 hectares of flood risk land will be improved by the planting, helping to reduce the risk of flooding for local communities. The value of additional water storage on these sites is estimated at £26,640 per year. 

1,620ha of ecological network has been improved, providing more joined up habitats for wildlife to thrive. 

The trees planted will capture 2,962 tonnes of CO2 annually, the equivalent of removing 2,154 cars from the road annually. The economic value of this is estimated to be £219,439. 

Paul, continued: "The study by colleagues at LJMU shows the real impact that good planting can make to an area.  We work closely with a wide range of partners to find land where woodland can be established, with a particular focus on schemes that can provide the most benefit to the local community. 
 
"We're set to get planting again this winter, providing our flexible grants, advice and support to a range of landowners who are all doing their bit to help grow and maintain The Mersey Forest." 
 
The Mersey Forest is the lead for the national Trees for Climate programme, which is funded through the government's multi-million pound Nature for Climate Fund. Cheshire West and Chester Council is the accountable body for the programme, supporting the 13 Community Forests who are delivering the programme nationwide. 
 
Landowners and farmers with land available for tree planting can find out about our flexible grants, which can fund a range of woodland creation schemes from 0.1ha up by visiting: www.merseyforest.org.uk/planttrees