Working together for the good of green spaces brings enormous benefits. By sharing ideas, news and examples of good practice, and building partnerships, our efforts can be properly appreciated and more effective!

Every public green space can benefit hugely from its users forming a strong friends group, and from that group developing good links with other user groups of that site (eg a sports club, local residents association or adjacent school). In the same way, existing groups for a range of sites in their local area can share news and support each other, and act collectively to develp good partnerships with the local authority and other relevant town-wide organisations.

And organisations such as the Sunderland Green and Open Spaces Forum can benefit from being a part of a UK-wide network, the National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces (NFPGS) – the voice of the inspirational movement of over 7,000 local friends groups.

Dave Morris, the Chair of the National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces, will give an on-line session for our Forum to talk about some of these issues in order to stimulate a discussion about how we might work together at all levels even better!

Dave has been an officer of his local group the Friends of Lordship Rec, since 2001. That group have led the £8m transformation of Tottenham’s largest park and now co-manage the site with Haringey’s Council’s parks service. Dave also chairs the Haringey Friends of Parks Forum, and the London Friends of Green Spaces Network helping coordinate over 700 local groups.

The National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces is the democratic umbrella network for the movement of over 7,000 local Friends Groups throughout the UK. The NFPGS articulates and amplifies their passionate and well-informed voices; encourages peer to peer learning, mutual aid, community involvement and empowerment; promotes and facilitates local, regional and national coordination of this movement; promotes partnership working with management and throughout the sector; and champions the needs of green spaces at all levels.

You can find out more about the National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces on their website – www.natfedparks.org.uk


Thank You To Our Funders

This event has been made possible by funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. You can find out more about they work they do and how it could potentially benefit your organisation via this link – https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/