State of UK Public Parks - report

The National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces (NFPGS) have an online petition and questionnaire that is hoping to reach as many different community organisations and parks people as possible. 

The petition follows the Heritage Lottery Fund report ‘State of UK Public Parks’ – available here . The report published in June 2014  documented what the NFPGS felt to be an alarming slide into  long-term crisis being caused by the underfunding of the UK's parks. It is hoped that this important and timely document will inform and influence all decision-making on the future of our green spaces. 

The NFPGS released the following statement:
“This report on the alarming long-term crisis being caused by the underfunding of the UK's parks, so vital to every local community, is a shocking wake-up call which clearly necessitates immediate and effective national action.

The inspirational rise of the Friends Groups movement over the last 15 years has demonstrated the commitment of the public. We are now demanding an equivalent commitment from the Government to ensure adequate public resources for all green spaces, a statutory duty to manage these spaces to decent (Green Flag Awards) standards, and a national inquiry into these matters.

We will be responding to the report by launching a UK-wide public petition, and are also calling on all park users to back Love Parks Week at the end of July to demonstrate our love for our vital local green spaces."

- Sarah Royal and Dave Morris, National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces