More than 200 crutches, sticks, and walking frames were collected within the first few weeks of a reuse and recycling scheme launched by Sherwood Forest Hospitals Foundation Trust.

The initiative, which aims to prevent walking aids ending up in landfill, is part its efforts to reduce the impact of climate action on the community and work towards the NHS target of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

People can return any unwanted walking aids, irrespective of when or where they got them, to any of the trust’s three sites, at:

King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton — Outside Clinic 10 and next to reception in the main entrance;
Mansfield Community Hospital — Rehab Unit;
Newark Hospital — Byron House.

Deborah Kerry, a physiotherapist on secondment with the Improvement Faculty at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, who introduced the scheme, said: “I’m so pleased that the public have embraced this idea and am extremely grateful to everyone who has returned a walking aid so far.

“We were inundated in the first week of launching the scheme and I hope that people continue to return their unused and unwanted walking aids, which will be safety checked, repaired, and reissued where appropriate.

“The scheme will greatly reduce the number of walking aids being taken to landfill unnecessarily, which is great news for the environment.

“The scheme is another step forward in the trust’s drive towards achieving the net zero target.”

Refurbishing walking aids will reduce the quantity of new walking aids being issued in the trust and reduce the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing.

The trust introduced a Climate Action Project Group in 2020 to work towards the NHS net-zero carbon emissions target by 2040.

In the past year, it has completed several projects, including:

• Planting 150 trees at King’s Mill Hospital to support the NHS Forest, while 5,000m3 of grass was left to grow last summer and native wildflower seeds sown to increase biodiversity on the site. Around 50 species of flora and fauna were identified on the site, and rare bee orchid flowers grew in the grass that was left unmown.
• Fitbits were donated to the physiotherapy team by Nottinghamshire County Council’s public rights of way team, which will promote exercise in recovering patients and allow those in the community to take greater control of their own health and wellbeing.
• A comprehensive guide on sustainable ways to travel to work for staff was created, and 24 electric vehicle chargers installed in a staff car parks.
• 50 green champions have been recruited across the trust, including representatives from each ward, who will lead on ideas of how to improve recycling in their areas.
• Changes have been made to how patients’ menus are presented to encourage more greener, healthier meal choices.
• Work has been taking place with Ashfield School, Kirkby, and West Nottinghamshire College to raise awareness and educate about the link between health and sustainability.

Richard Mills, chief financial officer and executive lead for climate change, said: “In 2021 we launched our Green Plan in a direct response to the climate crisis, as well as declaring a Climate Emergency. Since then, the Climate Action Team has gone above and beyond to make positive changes to how we do things, bringing benefits to the health of both our planet and people living and working in our area.

“The team continues to bring innovative new changes to how we do things, as we work towards our goal of net zero’ by 2040.”