Why parks matter
With the onset of Lockdown 2, the memories of the earlier lockdown resonate. Do you recall how it felt to finally be able to meet up in the park with friends and family?
Now the importance of parks has been brought back sharply into focus as limits are once again placed upon us. These vital public green spaces are a lifeline for people without access to a garden and as a place for all of us to find respite.
Back in the Spring the #BristolTogether campaign echoed the message by marking out heart shaped spaces onto the grass at Queen Square welcoming the people of Bristol back into the city.
Parks are still in the headlines, with study after study evidencing their positive impact on our health and wellbeing, our quality of life and value to the local economy. Research by Fields in Trust states that parks and green spaces save an estimated £111 million annually to the NHS. City green space will be critical in helping communities to recover and supporting our individual health, particularly if we are working from home or without work. The importance of public parks in response to the ecological and climate emergencies declared by Bristol and Bath is also unquestionable.
With Council budgets cut to the bone, new ways of supporting parks need to be explored. The Bristol and Bath Parks Foundation is a charity that has been created to address this challenge, to help raise funds and find solutions that make parks better places to ‘meet, play, learn, grow, breathe and enjoy nature’.
Good for business
We know that businesses of all sizes identify with the values that parks represent and want to make a difference to the communities in which they are located. Supporting parks also indicates the care and responsibility that employers recognise towards the wellbeing of their staff. It is clear a thriving park and community are good for business and help shape a vibrant local economy.
But how to make a difference?
The Bristol and Bath Parks Foundation’s ‘Love Your Park’ fund aims to support the grassroots volunteers, the local heroes who care passionately about our parks and green spaces. These are the litter pickers, the nature lovers, the community ambassadors who ensure parks and green spaces are welcoming to all.
Bristol and Bath Parks Foundation Chair of Trustees, Rob Acton-Campbell comments: “From the top of Troopers Hill near my home in St George, you can see how green Bristol is. These parks, nature reserves and other green spaces play a major part in making our cities places where people want to live and work, helping businesses attract and retain staff. We are lucky that there are active Friends Groups who volunteer their help to care for many of these spaces, this fund will help them thrive and ensure that these spaces are protected for the future”.
Show your support for the #LoveYourPark fund
To show your support through a donation to the #LoveYourPark fund or to discuss corporate volunteering opportunities, please contact Charlee Bennett, Director, Bristol and Bath Parks Foundation email charlee@bbpf.org.uk
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