New wildflower meadows sown to celebrate ‘#NoMowMay’ at George Eliot Hospital

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust is marking the first anniversary of the launch of their Green Plan by sowing seeds for their new wildflower meadows as part of #NoMowMay. 

Members of the hospitals staff were joined by volunteers, green champions and the patient forum to spread the wildflower seeds.

The #NoMowMay initiative calls for areas that are usually regularly mown to be allowed to grow wild and provide a habitat for pollinators and help tackle pollution. By sowing these new areas, the Trust hopes to attract bees and butterflies to improve the local ecosystem.

The event also marks one year since the hospital officially launched its Green Plan 2022/25, which sets out the Trust’s focus on sustainability and low carbon practice, helping the NHS to become the first health service in the world with net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The wildflower meadow, made possible thanks to funding from WCC's Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund, is the latest initiative to reduce George Eliot Hospital’s impact on climate change since its launch last year. These include:

• The recruitment of 14 green champions, made up of staff across the Trust who champion sustainability.
• Developing more sustainable models of care, including virtual wards, to help reduce travel by patients. 
• Promoting agile working and alternative sustainable travel to staff to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles.
• Installing new secure bike lockers to support alternative travel.
• Introducing electronic menus to wards to reduce food waste.

Jennie Northcote, Chief Strategy Improvement and Partnerships Officer said: “We are very proud of what we have achieved in the last year, as we set out to be a greener, more sustainable NHS. And have big plans for the future.

“We are set shortly launch our decarbonisation plan which sets out or aims to achieve a reduction in 6,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over the next decade.

“We have also successfully integrated sustainability into the Trust long term vision of our Trust, so that everything that the organization does including the Trusts business case process, considers our impact on our world.

“We want to act by example and our Trust Green Plan is making that commitment. Our journey to net zero will mean changes for how we provide care and we will be listening and involving our workforce, partners, and local citizens to deliver this plan.”