One in five children from Leeds don't have green space at school, study suggests

The research polled the views of more than 2,000 adults in UK 6 cities about their access and views on green space. Here were the results for Leeds:

• Over 200 (258 adults) adults living in Leeds were surveyed about their access and views on green spaces.• The data gather from participant living in Leeds revealed that green spaces for children. 1in 5 (19%) children from Leeds grew up without a garden and 1 in 5 (17%) go to school with no green space at all.• 96% of people living in Leeds believed access to green spaces give a child an equal start in life. • While 93% of people who live in Leeds said that green spaces improved their mood and 95% of also agreed it improved their child’s behaviour. • Just 46% of Leeds citizens are happy with the city green space.• 1 in 2 children living in Leeds are over a 30 minutes’ walk from farms, stables or marshes.• 96% of survey respondents believe that access to green spaces can help give children an equal start in life.• 92% of those who live in Leeds ‘care deeply’ about the health of their city.

During June, schools, community groups and charities are being encouraged to apply for Bupa Foundation Green Community Grants of up to £2000 to fund green projects, aiming to directly benefit 200,000 people including children and teenagers living in the UK’s biggest cities.

Plot E17 Community Orchard is one example of how a Bupa Foundation Green Grant is directly benefitting those living in the Walthamstow area. The plot has a secure shed, workshops, and a group dining space. “Now local people can visit and help to grow food as a community, eat together and sit under the canopies for a moment of calm in a busy area of East London,” explains the project leader Maureen Schipper.

In the north of England, Helen Skelton, ambassador for Bupa’s Healthy Cities campaign, has visited one project that had benefitted from Bupa Foundation Green Grants, including community gardens, a wildlife pond and a forest school. She said: “Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy green space every day, which is why I am supporting Bupa’s initiative to drive a ‘green’ wave of change across UK cities – project by project, inch by inch. I have visited some of the fantastic Bupa funded projects to find out how they will be changing lives for those living in northern cities – their work is so important.”

Carlos Jaureguizar, CEO for Bupa Global, India & UK said: “Everyone should have access to green space. It supports mental and physical health and is vital for our planet’s long-term health. We are already seeing the impact the Bupa Foundation’s Green Grants: from providing gardening therapy to people going through cancer in Abercynon, to establishing an urban farm in Edinburgh and providing outdoor classrooms in Brighton; these projects are improving lives and bringing happiness to communities. Our survey found that 94% of those who live in cities ‘care deeply’ about the health of their urban space and we urge all schools, charities and local groups across the UK to apply for a Green Grant.”

Applications for up to £2,000 to fund green projects are now open. For more information about the Healthy Cities campaign and how to apply for the Green Community Grants, visit https://www.groundwork.org.uk/bupa-foundation-green-grants/. The Bupa Foundation will unlock £750,000 to support green projects from across the UK, such as outdoor classrooms, sensory gardens, food banks, allotments, playgrounds and other green space improvements.