Pictured: Charlene Brooks, Jacqueline O’Hagan and Olivia Robinson from BHC alongside Prof Ruth Lowry and David Woods from UU with student Dylan Vaughan.
Belfast Healthy Cities is launching a new Green Health Map for the Ulster University Belfast campus area to coincide with World Mental Health Day on Saturday 10th October.
The map was developed alongside Ulster University students and staff with them in mind, as well as people who live and work around the Belfast campus on York Street.
Belfast Healthy Cities’ Green Health Maps bring together key messages around greening, health and wellbeing and encourage people to make greater use of the green spaces around them. This, newest map highlights local green spaces and walking routes close to the campus, helping people discover opportunities to spend more time outdoors, explore their local area and build more walking into their everyday routines.
The launch has been timed to coincide with World Mental Health Day on 10th October, recognising the important role that access to nature, green space and opportunities for walking can play in supporting health and wellbeing.
Charlene Brooks, Chief Executive Officer of Belfast Healthy Cities, said:
“Green spaces are an important part of creating a healthier city. They provide opportunities to be active, connect with nature, take time away from busy environments and support both physical and mental wellbeing.
“With thousands of students, staff and local residents and visitors spending time around the Ulster University Belfast campus, we wanted this map to make it easier for people to see what is available around them and encourage them to explore some of those spaces on by walking, wheeling or cycling.
“Launching the map around World Mental Health Day is also a timely reminder that relatively simple things, such as getting outside and making use of our local environment, can form part of how we support our overall health and wellbeing.”
Professor Ruth Lowry, School of Health, Sport and Exercise Psychology at Ulster University, and a member of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network Scientific Committee, said:
“The environment around us can have a significant influence on our health and wellbeing, and universities have an important role to play in helping students and staff make healthy choices as part of their everyday lives.
“The Green Health Map is a practical resource that can help people become more familiar with the area around the Belfast campus, identify places where they can walk or spend time outdoors, and think about how they might incorporate those opportunities into their normal routines.
“It is particularly valuable for students who may be new to Belfast and still discovering the city and the spaces around the campus. By identifying the main transport hubs alongside walking routes and green spaces, the map can also encourage more sustainable travel and active journeys to and from campus.”
The Ulster University Green Health Map is available now here.
As part of the launch, Belfast Healthy Cities will also be displaying digital billboards around the Ulster University area featuring a QR code linking directly to the map. The billboards will remain in place for a couple of weeks following World Mental Health Day, so keep an eye out when travelling through the area.
The Ulster University map forms part of Belfast Healthy Cities’ wider Green Health Maps work, supporting people and communities across Belfast to connect with their local environment and understand the links between green space, place and health.
