Building health together – with common sense. That was the focus during the third edition of the Healthy Mind Festival. Hundreds of stakeholders were inspired to help initiatives grow. Because a lot is already happening in South Holland! And by connecting better, we increase our impact together.
From government and knowledge institutions to entrepreneurs, healthcare, social initiatives, gardeners, and farmers: the diversity in the room was great. As moderator and program manager Health & Welfare Irene Voskamp-ter Borg asks who comes from which sector, she sees hands raised everywhere. “A beautiful diverse group to seek connection with each other,” she says at the opening. That connection is essential to work on a healthy food system, a healthy living environment, and resilient, vital residents.
“South Holland is one of the unhealthiest provinces,” says deputy for Health & Welfare Mariëtte van Leeuwen. “Half of the adults are overweight. Lifestyle diseases lead to high healthcare costs and absenteeism, and there are also large health disparities between population groups and regions. As a province, we want to help residents improve their health and reduce health inequalities. Food is the best and cheapest medicine to prevent lifestyle diseases.”
It’s about taking action
Anne Koning, deputy for Housing, emphasizes the importance of a healthy living environment: “When we talk about housing, it often focuses mainly on numbers. But it is just as important that we also build healthily. With public spaces where you can play and meet each other, and with good facilities. And the great thing is: with the Healthy Design approach, these two go hand in hand.”
In the Delta Action Agenda (opens in a new window) launched at the festival, these themes are addressed, as well as ‘Healthy and Resilient Residents’. The collaboration Medical Delta (opens in a new window) drew up the agenda on behalf of the province. Chair Prof. Dr. Sanne de Vries says about this: “We gathered input from many parties to combine knowledge and forces. This way, we can advance and scale what already exists. It is an action agenda, so it’s about taking action.” To scale working solutions, the province makes a new subsidy (opens in a new window) available from the Healthy Society program.
Doing the right thing
Rob Baan, owner of Koppert Cress nursery, emphasizes that action is important, without “unnecessary barriers.” He refers to the 80% tax rate he has to pay on free healthy lunches for his employees. Now a cost-benefit analysis shows that this benefits both companies and society greatly, his call to The Hague politics is clear: “We prove unequivocally that this works. Let us do the right thing.”
These barriers are recognized in the room. Various participants immediately make new connections to strengthen each other. During the workshops, they worked on diverse themes: from Healthy Design to Place Testing and the Healthy Primary School of the Future. At the Healthy Market, visitors got acquainted with numerous initiatives, ranging from the Knitting Grannies to Positive Design on the Drawing Board. Gospel choir G-Roots provided a musical finale – because as Marijke Will-Jansen, senior innovation manager at Medical Delta concluded: “There’s music in this!”
