Planet Health Cymru
Author:Malcolm Ward, Principal Health Promotion Specialist
Date:24 September 2010. / Version:0a
Purpose and Summary of Document:
To inform the board of the launch of a new PHW multi-agency web resource
Sponsoring Director:
Su Mably, Consultant in Public Health
Who will present:
(If appropriate)
Documents attached:
None
Date of Board meeting:
4 October 2010
Committee/Groups that have received or considered this paper:
None
Please state of the paper is for:
Discussion
Decision
Information / X
Date: 27/09/10 / Version: 0a / Page: 1 of 3
Public Health Wales / General document template
1Purpose
This short briefing note is to advise the board of the impending launch of a new web resource developed and managed by Public Health Wales through the auspices of the Physical Activity & Nutrition Networks for Wales.
2Board Members are asked to:
Note this new and exciting development.
3Introduction
Following a joint conference on the Green Environment & Health by the Wales Centre for Health and the Countryside Council for Wales in 2007, the need for a multi-agency approach was identified as key to addressing health related problems resulting form poor nutrition and physical inactivity. However, effective collaboration from such diverse disciplines as transport, environment, regeneration, community development, urban planning, rural development and health was recognised as being problematic due to the specialised roles, language, tools, needs etc. of the various agencies. A further conferenceby the Physical activity & nutrition networks and subsequent workshops and meetings resulted in the establishment of a multi-agency group to advise on the development of a unique web-resource that would provide a one-stop shop where all the various disciplines could come to share expertise, resources, information, data, research tools and so on. This new bi-lingual website is PlanetHealthCymru (Planning for Environment, Transport & Health). With an initial focus on physical activity, nutrition & obesity the website is divided into areas such as Built Environment & Health, Green Environment & Health and Transport & Health within each of which are Policies, tools, case studies, research, resources and other information identified at local, national and international levels.There are also links to other agencies including things such as local authority planning departments. The website is run and managed by the PANNW co-ordinator but will be quality assured and populated by a multi-agency advisory group. The group presently includes the Royal Town Planning Institute, Design Council Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (OCMO & Planning), WLGA, CIEH, Institute of Civil Engineers, Countryside Council for Wales, the Transport Consortia for Wales (SWWITC, SEWTA), Sustrans, Cynnal Cymru, the Centre for Regeneration Excellence in Wales and the Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit. This group is now being expanded to include many other organisations such as the British Trust for Countryside Volunteers (BTCV), the Forestry Commission, the National Parks Authority, Sport Wales, the Playing Fields Association and many others.
4Next Steps
The website will be ‘soft launched’ in mid October and the initiative publicly launched by the Environment Minister, Jane Davidson at the annual Walking & Cycling Conference at the Royal Pavilion, Port Talbot on 3rd November. It will also be promoted at a range of events including the CIEH/RTPI Conference in Swansea, the Transport Consortia conference and the Public Health Wales conference. A press release has been prepared and will be released on 2nd November. The initiative has already attracted attention from both the UK and abroad with interest from DH England and WHO office in Japan amongst others.
Date: 27/09/10 / Version: 0a / Page: 1 of 3