The UKPHA Michael Varnam Health, Humanity and Environment Award

Background

This award is presented annually by the UKPHA in recognition of the outstanding contribution to Health, Humanity and Environment made by Dr Michael Varnam, former UKPHA trustee, who died in 2006.  The award recognises an approach to health and the environment which is rooted in humanitarian principles, acknowledging projects and services that improve the environment for the well-being of future generations.

The award was first presented by the late Helen Varnam, Michael's wife, at the Liverpool Forum in April 2008. Helen was instrumental in supporting the UKPHA in establishing the Michael Varnam national award.  Her strength, determination, compassion and ability to connect with people from all walks of life, together with her sense of fairness and vision for a world that provides practical help for people in a sensitive manner, made her just the right person to support the development of this award.  We are very glad indeed to have known and worked with Helen and know that the Award will now honour not just Michael's memory and contribution but Helen's as well.  We are continuing to develop this inspirational Award along with Michael and Helen's son, Dr Robert Varnam who presented the award via videolink at the UKPHA annual conference in Brighton. 

Aim

To encourage and acknowledge projects and services to be developed that improve the environment for the well-being of future generations.  The Award will recognise an approach to health and the environment which is rooted in humanitarian principles.

Health: Encourage self-help. Improve good health.  Reduce poor health.
A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (World Health Organisation, 1946)

Humanity:  Improve conditions for other humans by caring for others, encouraging, facilitating, affirming, involving, respecting, being realistic.

Environment:  Improve the local and /or global environment by education, increased awareness, motivation of individuals.  Must be achievable by individual people working together.

Successful projects and services will - 
a)  have SMART criteria; - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.
b)  incorporate good evaluation methods so that best practice can be repeated in the future.
c)  empower other people to connect with all three aspects, - Health, Humanity and Environment.
d)  result in improved well-being of people, making daily life better and more enjoyable.

The scoring criteria below are used by the judging panel to shortlist the nominations who are then asked for further information in areas identified as weaker within the nominations.

Award winners

In 2009, the Award was presented to Landlife's 'Great Outdoors' project in Knowsley which is working to improve parks and local open spaces using wildflowers, alongside creative nature activities to improve people's health and wellbeing.  For more information, please see www.landlife.org.uk

The 2008 Award was made to the ABLE project - www.theableproject.org.uk - in Wakefield an inspiring project that clearly addresses the Health, Humanity and Environmental criteria.

Apart from the Award, a leading representative of the winning project is entitled to a free place at the following year's UKPHA Annual Public Health Forum.

Nominations for 2011

Please be advised that nominations for the 2011 award will open later this year.