The Future Parks InitiativeThe first participants in the Future Parks Accelerator were announced by National Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Trust in early June. Supported by Government the eight areas are joining the programme to find sustainable ways to manage and fund parks and open spaces across entire towns and cities.
The Future Parks initiative is investing more than £6m of National Lottery and government funding and £5m worth of advice and support from some of the country’s leading experts in conservation, fundraising, volunteering and green space management from the National Trust. The eight places are:-
• Birmingham;
• Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole;
• Bristol;
• Cambridgeshire (county-wide, covering seven council areas);
• Edinburgh;
• Islington and Camden;
• Nottingham; and
• Plymouth
One of the most interesting themes that emerges from the plans of the participants is how parks can play a significant role in delivering the community well-being objectives of local areas. However to do so this contribution needs to be better recognised and they must be invested in, and managed, like any other key asset. Where, how and who by these decisions are made will be a key piece of learning as the project unfolds. This is something we raised in a recent blog post a couple of months ago.
The eight places (more details below) were among 81 councils and communities that applied to be part of the programme and all the winning bids demonstrated four key themes: making green spaces central to everyday community life; giving the public a bigger role in how they are managed; ensuring they contribute more to the public’s mental and physical health; and transforming the way they are funded to secure their futures.
Birmingham
Naturally Birmingham will re-evaluate the city’s entire green estate now and for the future. The project will work across the entire council (and partners) to bring about a systems change in policy, service delivery and the governance model for parks, re-engaging communities to provide a new platform and civic voice.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
The project will produce a green infrastructure strategy & business plan to create a sustainable parks service model and influence the new local plan. Work includes the development of a charitable trading & volunteering model, testing of a landscape partnership model and the effectiveness of health initiatives.
Bristol
The project will produce a Parks Prospectus to set out a comprehensive picture of opportunities for partnerships and delivery in green spaces. The prospectus will be heavily marketed across many sectors; expressions of interest will be invited. Significant benefits are anticipated including for health, the environment, the ‘parks experience’ and a more sustainable financial future.
Cambridgeshire
The project seeks to secure the future of Cambridgeshire’s parks and greenspaces by building lasting cross-sector partnership solutions, identifying sustainable sources of funding and investment, identifying partnership models, building community ‘ownership’ and involvement and by providing skills and training to grow our green spaces.
Edinburgh
The project will create an ambitious vision and strategy for green spaces, aligned with Edinburgh’s 2050 City Vision. The project seeks to bring about a range of benefits in theme areas, and to explore the operational, financial and governance models needed to deliver these changes. The project aims to ensure green spaces continue to grow, thrive and adapt over the next three decades, and to protect them from loss and decline due to insufficient financial resources.
Islington and Camden
The project aims to transform the role of green spaces, re-commissioning them as public health assets for the 21st century. Work will give green spaces a central role in delivering improvements to health and wellbeing by promoting social cohesion, tackling isolation and creating much wider opportunities for physical activity for people of all ages and interest. Strong partnerships with health and voluntary sectors will ensure benefits are focused on those with greatest need.
Nottingham
The project aims to create an innovative and sustainable delivery model for all of Notingham’s Parks and Heritage. It will reposition the City’s public realm, delivering change through service re-design, and introducing a Total Place Management approach. The work will ensure in-depth understanding of local needs through consultation and provide opportunities for community ownership and governance. The project will introduce full-life cost planning including strategic capital and inward investment planning, aiming to give longevity through conscious commercialism.
Plymouth
Plymouth GEMS aims to transform the way the city collectively cares for, uses and values its parks and urban green spaces by nurturing a more collaborative approach, developing an enterprising funding model, enabling a more inclusive and diverse user experience, placing green spaces at the heart of decision making and establishing a secure future for them that ensures they can support the city’s growth aims and provide a high quality of life for all. |