Health Equals, a coalition of organisations working on employment, housing, education and environmental issues, is trying to change this. We’re taking a holistic view to improve people’s health and happiness. If people have clean air and wildlife-rich places where they live, as well as good jobs and homes, their quality of life goes up.

Not only is this morally the right thing to do, but it also makes economic sense. Creating greener and wilder places improves people’s health, reducing the burden on our health service and providing better opportunities to live healthy, fulfilling lives.

Research by the Leeds Beckett Centre for Health Promotion found that volunteering activities with The Wildlife Trusts are effective in maintaining good all-round health and improving wellbeing from issues such as loneliness, low levels of exercise and poor mental health. Experts leading the study found a social return of £8.50 for every £1 invested in nature-based programmes.

The problem lies in the fact that accessible natural greenspace in England is currently falling – and a third of us do not have nature-rich areas near home. 6.7 million children live in areas where air is unsafe to breathe – beyond legal limits – which is leading to 36,000 child deaths every year.

Worse still, polluters are poisoning our waterways; not one river in England is in good health, and wildlife is declining at a speed never seen before.

We need to take an upstream view about the connections between the natural world and our own health and wellbeing. By creating more space for nature, we can provide a much-needed boost for wildlife, while helping people to live longer, happier lives.

Policymakers must recognise how the quality of our health and how long we can expect to live is shaped by the world around us.

At the end of the day, your postcode shouldn’t dictate how easy it is to access green space, just like it shouldn’t dictate how long you’re expected to live.

Government has committed to protecting 30% of land for nature by 2030. Let’s make sure that target is applied to every town and city across the country, so everyone can benefit from a wilder, restored natural world.

The Wildlife Trusts are resolute in creating a wilder future – where healthy people live alongside a healthy natural environment. By working together, we can all make that dream a reality.

Find out more about Health Equals here.