"Friends of the park" community groups

The best way to get involved in your local park is to form a friends group or join an existing one. Find out more about how you can get started...

Setting up a park or green space community group

Making a Difference is a comprehensive guide to setting up and running a community group. Click here to download.

Making contact with other groups

Community Network

A free national support network for community groups working with parks and green spaces. Click here to find out more.

Park forums - what they are and why form one

There are benefits in getting together with other Friends groups in your area.
Click here to find out more.

Friends groups in the Wirral have come together to form an effective Forum.
Click here to find out more.

National Open Spaces Forum

The National Open Spaces Forum facilitates contact between local Parks Forums around the country. Click here to find out more.

Related information

Community group profile

This month's community group profile. Click here to download.
The community profile features in the monthly Community Bench newsletter.

An Urban Oasis

A review of Southwark Council's community focused conference, Urban Oasis: Parklife for Londoners. Click here to download.

Involving young people

A toolkit for involving young people in your friends group. Click here to download.

Participation Works is an on line resource, designed primarily for voluntary and community groups that work with young people, as well as statutory organisations. Click here for more information.

Organisational structures

Advice produced by the External Funding Suport team at Birmingham City Council on companies limited by guarantee and Community Interest Companies (CIC), as well as the management implications of full cost recovery for projects. Click here to download.

Please note: NCVO’s Full Cost Recovery: A guide and toolkit on cost allocation is no longer available from Birmingham City Council.