Warwick Hospital set to get a 'wildlife corridor' thanks to more than £22k in funding

Warwick Hospital is to get a ‘wildflower corridor’ thanks to more than £22,000 in funding.

The £1m Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund is allocated by Warwickshire County Council and supports community-powered initiatives across the county in addressing the climate change emergency.

The £22,980 in funding will allow the South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust to create a wildflower corridor at the rear of Warwick Hospital.

The new corridor will be accessible to staff, patients and visitors. This area will be the first wildflower habitat at the hospital, providing urban greenspace and increasing biodiversity at the site.

According to the council, the benefits of the wildflower meadow to the hospital, its patients and the wider community would include, plant diversity which, in turn, attracts insects and birds, community and business involvement with the project, and access to a greenspace.

Cristina Calleja, sustainability manager from the South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust who operate Warwick Hospital, said: “South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2040 and we’ve set out an ambitious plan to achieve this.

"As part of this work, we aim to enhance the quality of our existing greenspaces, whilst promoting their use to staff, patients and visitors.

"We have seen how access to greenspaces has positive mental and physical health impacts, including improving the patient hospital experience, promoting active recovery and reducing staff stress.

"This is without the benefits protecting our biodiversity brings. This project will only further prioritise the importance of retaining green spaces in an urban environment.”