Save our Parks

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF PARKS AND GREEN SPACESThe umbrella organisation for the UK's Friends of Parks Forums and the Friends Groups movement    www.natfedparks.org.uk 

Please forward to all your members, and via social media...
Save and Protect UK ParksLet's make the protection and improvement of our local open spaces a priority!
Please join the effort by widely promoting the 'Save Our Parks' UK petition:http://chn.ge/TXdqhj
We are pleased to report that tens of thousands of people took part in this year's Love Parks Week, July 24th to August 2nd 2015, the annual UK event to promote, protect and improve our vital local public green spaces. As World Parks Day approaches on Saturday September 19th we call on all citizens to continue to speak out for our parks and green spaces as they face an ever-deepening underfunding crisis and increasing threats of development.

The Government's cuts to Local Authorities for our local public services, combined with the lack of statutory protection for open spaces, are causing the most of the problems we are facing. This is provoking a growing number of vociferous and inspiring local grass-roots campaigns and petitioning as local communities mobilise to defend spaces under threat of neglect, privatisation or sell-offs. At the same time the evidence continues to stack up on the vital and unique role our parks play for health, biodiversity, flood control, climate change mitigation, social cohesion and many other essential needs of all sections of all our communities.

Following pressure from UK green space organisations including ourselves, the previous outgoing administration recommended that the newly elected Government consider hosting a National Inquiry into the future funding and management of our parks. Also, a cross-party group of MPs is now calling for a Private Members Bill [Bill 53] to strengthen protective measures.

So please sign and promote the UK 'Save Our Parks' petition to step up the pressure on the Government and all political parties to take seriously the future funding and protection of our vital green spaces. 

1. Sign the petition: http://chn.ge/TXdqhj 
2. Spread the news via Twitter: @LoveParks_Week  #LoveParks
3. Spread the news via Facebook: www.facebook.com/ukparkspetition - and: www.facebook.com/LoveParksWeek 
4. See the Parks Petition webpage: www.natfedparks.org.uk/parks-petition.html - the page includes a paper Sign Up Sheet and leaflets to distribute
5. Ensure your organisation has agreed to back the petition: Join the many others including Groundwork (green space volunteering charity), Fields In Trust (national open spaces safeguarding organisation backed by the Royal Family) and UNISON (Local Government workers union). Let us know.

And please don't forget to support your local green space Friends Group or help set up one for any green space without one!


best wishes

Dave Morris
Chair, National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces
chair@natfedparks.org.uk 
www.natfedparks.org.uk