Building healthier communities through nature recovery and YouMove

We’re continuing our Public Health–funded work exploring how nature recovery can help tackle health inequalities. This year, we’ve really focused on helping young people across the district reconnect with nature, as well as getting more involved with our YouMove families.

We’ve been out and about in Chipping Norton and Witney, running nature walks and creative outdoor sessions. Some of the activities have included sun prints, Suminagashi (a beautiful marbling technique using natural, non-toxic inks), and Andy Goldsworthy–inspired leaf art. We’ve had some amazing creations from Chiara (10), Nell (9), and Thomas (8) — including a brilliant leaf caterpillar!

With the new 2025 Index of Multiple Deprivation data now published, we’re looking at how we can keep building on this work, focusing especially on the communities that will benefit most.