On 23rd June 2021, 47 people gathered in a virtual air quality and health knowledge exchange workshop, organised by ARC NWC. Participants included Public Advisers and representatives from local authorities, NHS organisations, universities and community-based organisations.
 
The aims of the workshop were to share the work of ARC NWC on air quality and health, to find out more about the priorities of member organisations and public advisers, and to explore how evidence and research can support policy and practice to improve air quality and health in our region.
 
The presentations will soon be available on the ARC NWC website – there has been some very positive feedback on the breadth of perspectives that were presented and the approach of ARC-NWC. The conversations that followed the presentations were wide ranging and included concerns about the impact of exposure to air pollution on babies and children, the links between respiratory health and diet, barriers to active travel and the need for awareness raising. There was also a lively debate about the use of personal monitors and the advisability of alerting residents when air pollution levels were high.
 
Participants were passionate about the need to address poor air quality in the North West Coast, particularly to look more closely at ‘what works’ and were keen to build on the links made at the workshop – look out for further information via member contacts and in the next newsletter.