Getting young people involved in green space volunteering is made easier with this series of fantastic downloadable guides, designed to support green space volunteer groups working with young adults aged 14 – 24 years old.
Site Improvements
Having a Management Plan allows ambitious partnership working to flourish – Friends of Troopers Hill, Bristol
Having a Management Plan of some sort is vital if there is any ambition for the site to be improved from its current condition. If the park is just a patch of grass that the Council are going to continue cutting in the same way as they always have along with maybe emptying bins and picking up litter occasionally then it probably isn’t needed, but for anything more, there should be one.
Creating a network of community orchards and forest gardens – Fruit and Nut Village, Stirchley, Birmingham
Fruit and Nut Village are an organisation that was set up between Lets Grow Together and Food Forest Brum. They bring together pre-existing fruit trees in the area, adding nut groves into them, creating different ways for fruit trees to be grown in the area.
Protecting a historic reservoir – Friends of Edgbaston Reservoir, Birmingham
Edgbaston Reservoir is a 70-acre site, situated in Ladywood, less than two miles from the City centre. It is a designated Local Nature Reserve and a site of historic importance. The group are keen to guard against any developments which could be detrimental to the whole ethos of a very special place.
8 tips to create a successful Friends Group
This ‘PASSPORT TO SUCCESS’ is an excellent list of key aims for green space volunteer groups to aim for, with thanks to Nesta UK Persistence don’t give up – have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and have passion for it tooAdvocacy – maintain independence – speak up for all the different […]
Engaging the generations – Friends of Hednesford Park, Cannock, West Midlands
The group started in 2011 because Cannock Chase Council wanted to gain a Heritage Lottery bid, which they achieved. The council assisted by The Friends of Hednesford Park successfully obtained a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant of £2.2M as part of the improvements to the park and war memorial.
Restoration of 13th Century mill – Friends of Broadwaters, Wyre Forest, Worcestershire
Friends of Broadwaters are a group of some 60 members who help manage the park at Broadwaters which covers an area of 2.022 hectares. Located on the outskirts of Kidderminster, it hosts the Broadwaters Annual Fair and Christmas Fair. The Friends group was formed eighteen years ago, following a project instigated by Wyre Forest District Council, and supported by the Local Heritage Initiative.
From an anti-social to a social space – Friends of East Rugby Group, Rugby
Friends of East Rugby Group (FERG) have been going a couple of years. The Friends took on a little local park because it was becoming a very anti-social park, yet it had a nice area for the children to play. There were drug problems on the site and it was becoming generally rundown and neglected, thankfully the Council help the group and support them with their mission to make the park feel welcome and loved again.
Fundraising Guide For Community Groups
A fantastic well-researched guide with links to help any Friends groups apply for grants or funding. Written by Groundwork UK and shared with permission on the Park Community UK website.
Community-led regeneration and co-management of a major urban park – Lordship Rec, Haringey
Lordship Rec is Tottenham’s largest public park. Friends of Lordship Rec (FoLR) were awarded £4 million funding to help transform it into a beautiful space for everyone to use.
