News
Autumn training for Greenspace Managers at Urban Design London
LPGSF, with CABE Space funding, is organising the following training for greenspace managers, which we hope our members will find essential to come on or send staff along to. Please note we have a £100 subsidy per place for member boroughs of LPGSF who are not signed up to UDL (usually through their planning departments)and therefore eligible for free training. Please contact Tony Leach to request funding subsidy. For further details of courses and to sign up see www.urbandesignlondon.com
Greenspace Design Foundation course
This is a 4 day Foundation Course (but individual days may be chosen) aimed at managers without a design background. Having an appreciation of fundamental design principles will enable managers to make sympathetic changes, thereby maintaining integrity of a greenspace and its quality.
The first day is an introduction to Urban Design organised by Metropolitan Workshop. Days 2 and 3 are organised by LPGSF particularly aimed at Greenspace Managers:
27 Sept. Day 2: What makes for a Well-designed Green Space.
This session will focus on the fundamental principles of designing a green space, looking at the policy context, the value and benefits of green space, the tools and critieria available to assess a well-designed green space, and the elements that make for a pleasing green space that works well for its users.
1 Oct. Day 3: Creating and Maintaining Excellent Quality Green Spaces. This will equip you to be better client, write well considered briefs and be a constructive critical friend to the design team. It will look at the planning, design, funding and procurement/commissioning processes, using CABE's 'It's our Space' guide; how to set project objectives, create briefs, present and consult on schemes and consider management and maintenance iimplications of different approaches.
8 Oct. Day 4, will culminate in 'A big design day', a hands-on charette applying the principles to a particular place. We encourage greenspace managers to take part, as an important but often overlooked member of the design team, to practice their advocacy skills for greenspace as the 'heart of the community' (aka CABE's 'Start with the Park').
5 Oct Workshop on Open Space Strategies, aimed particularly at those boroughs which have not yet adopted an OSS, this workshop will explore the benefits, not least in drawing down funding from a variety of sources, and the processes involved in developing a strategy.
Tricky Issue breakfast sessions If you are wrestling with an issue, bring it along to discuss with the expert panel and your peers and gain confidence in taking forward a solution. Starting at 8.30am with swift 10' presentations by panel members on their take on the topic, it will then open to the floor for discussion of particular issues. The sessions will end by 10.30am so as not to eattoo much into the working day.
14 Oct Productive Landscapes - hear from the Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens, Sustain and the Dirty Hands project on how to develop growing spaces in the city, including the Mayor's Capital Growth initiative, and discuss your issues.
12 Nov Optimising Green Space - hear from others about examples of animating green spaces and generating income, and discuss your issues.
30 Nov Creating Child Friendly Environments - hear from play expert Tim Gill of Rethinking Childhood, Rob Wheway Director of the Children's Play Advisory Service, and landscape architect Noel Farrer of Farrer Huxley, and discuss your issues.
30 March 2011 River Restoration - combined with a site visit, hear from those who have liberated their waterways from concrete drainage channels to dynamic systems within open spaces.
Comments and feedback (to alexandra.rook@lpgsf.org.uk) welcome on what would make these really worthwhile courses for your staff, as we appreciate that training budgets and time out of the office are currently at a premium.
LPGSF, with CABE Space funding, is organising the following training for greenspace managers, which we hope our members will find essential to come on or send staff along to. Please note we have a £100 subsidy per place for member boroughs of LPGSF who are not signed up to UDL (usually through their planning departments)and therefore eligible for free training. Please contact Tony Leach to request funding subsidy. For further details of courses and to sign up see www.urbandesignlondon.com
Greenspace Design Foundation course
This is a 4 day Foundation Course (but individual days may be chosen) aimed at managers without a design background. Having an appreciation of fundamental design principles will enable managers to make sympathetic changes, thereby maintaining integrity of a greenspace and its quality.
The first day is an introduction to Urban Design organised by Metropolitan Workshop. Days 2 and 3 are organised by LPGSF particularly aimed at Greenspace Managers:
27 Sept. Day 2: What makes for a Well-designed Green Space.
This session will focus on the fundamental principles of designing a green space, looking at the policy context, the value and benefits of green space, the tools and critieria available to assess a well-designed green space, and the elements that make for a pleasing green space that works well for its users.
1 Oct. Day 3: Creating and Maintaining Excellent Quality Green Spaces. This will equip you to be better client, write well considered briefs and be a constructive critical friend to the design team. It will look at the planning, design, funding and procurement/commissioning processes, using CABE's 'It's our Space' guide; how to set project objectives, create briefs, present and consult on schemes and consider management and maintenance iimplications of different approaches.
8 Oct. Day 4, will culminate in 'A big design day', a hands-on charette applying the principles to a particular place. We encourage greenspace managers to take part, as an important but often overlooked member of the design team, to practice their advocacy skills for greenspace as the 'heart of the community' (aka CABE's 'Start with the Park').
5 Oct Workshop on Open Space Strategies, aimed particularly at those boroughs which have not yet adopted an OSS, this workshop will explore the benefits, not least in drawing down funding from a variety of sources, and the processes involved in developing a strategy.
Tricky Issue breakfast sessions If you are wrestling with an issue, bring it along to discuss with the expert panel and your peers and gain confidence in taking forward a solution. Starting at 8.30am with swift 10' presentations by panel members on their take on the topic, it will then open to the floor for discussion of particular issues. The sessions will end by 10.30am so as not to eattoo much into the working day.
14 Oct Productive Landscapes - hear from the Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens, Sustain and the Dirty Hands project on how to develop growing spaces in the city, including the Mayor's Capital Growth initiative, and discuss your issues.
12 Nov Optimising Green Space - hear from others about examples of animating green spaces and generating income, and discuss your issues.
30 Nov Creating Child Friendly Environments - hear from play expert Tim Gill of Rethinking Childhood, Rob Wheway Director of the Children's Play Advisory Service, and landscape architect Noel Farrer of Farrer Huxley, and discuss your issues.
30 March 2011 River Restoration - combined with a site visit, hear from those who have liberated their waterways from concrete drainage channels to dynamic systems within open spaces.
Comments and feedback (to alexandra.rook@lpgsf.org.uk) welcome on what would make these really worthwhile courses for your staff, as we appreciate that training budgets and time out of the office are currently at a premium.
LPGSF to conduct volunteering audit
Natural England has commissioned the London Parks & Green Spaces Forum to conduct an audit of volunteering that takes place in London’s parks, open spaces, canals & waterways.
The survey will give a picture of the scale of volunteering across London’s green & blue spaces & will inform the development of a volunteering strategy for these spaces in London.
This survey will also explore what links there are at a local PCT / health sector level between health improvement programmes and green space provision. The results will be used to map provision of active volunteering across London with a view to enhancing these links, strategically through local and regional partnerships.
Download the terms of reference for the London Parks Volunteering Research Project Advisory Group
Natural England has commissioned the London Parks & Green Spaces Forum to conduct an audit of volunteering that takes place in London’s parks, open spaces, canals & waterways.
The survey will give a picture of the scale of volunteering across London’s green & blue spaces & will inform the development of a volunteering strategy for these spaces in London.
This survey will also explore what links there are at a local PCT / health sector level between health improvement programmes and green space provision. The results will be used to map provision of active volunteering across London with a view to enhancing these links, strategically through local and regional partnerships.
Download the terms of reference for the London Parks Volunteering Research Project Advisory Group
Capital Growth launches £150,000 fund to help Londoners boost food
growing
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today launched a £150,000 fund to help Londoners grow their own food in under-used areas of the capital. He also welcomed Transport for London to the Capital Growth scheme, which is run by London Food Link and has a target to create 2,012 growing spaces by 2012 in discarded patches of London, tended by enthusiastic community gardeners.
The Mayor has provided £150,000 so green fingered community groups can apply for small grants. This is in addition to the practical support being offered to communities to help them to identify plots and join Capital Growth. More than 150 plots have already been signed up across the city including canal banks, schools, roofs, private gardens open to the community and parks. More
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today launched a £150,000 fund to help Londoners grow their own food in under-used areas of the capital. He also welcomed Transport for London to the Capital Growth scheme, which is run by London Food Link and has a target to create 2,012 growing spaces by 2012 in discarded patches of London, tended by enthusiastic community gardeners.
The Mayor has provided £150,000 so green fingered community groups can apply for small grants. This is in addition to the practical support being offered to communities to help them to identify plots and join Capital Growth. More than 150 plots have already been signed up across the city including canal banks, schools, roofs, private gardens open to the community and parks. More
New TAES course dates announced
Towards an Excellent Service (TAES) for Parks and Open Spaces, is a parks specific version of the Excellence model that has helped transform the performance of cultural services and the perceptions about their impact on communities over recent years. GreenSpace has announced dates for two new courses in London on 25 January and 15-16 February. More
Towards an Excellent Service (TAES) for Parks and Open Spaces, is a parks specific version of the Excellence model that has helped transform the performance of cultural services and the perceptions about their impact on communities over recent years. GreenSpace has announced dates for two new courses in London on 25 January and 15-16 February. More
LPGSF supporting launch of capital's new Friends network
LPGSF is supporting the launch of London Green Spaces Friends Groups Network, a new forum vowing to work together to value, protect and improve the capital's parks and open spaces.
The network was launched as over 80 representatives of local Friends Groups from seventeen London boroughs gathered together for the first time for a major conference in October. The event celebrated the achievements of over 500 such groups across London, with those present sharing their experiences and ideas, and discussing ways to support each other within their borough and across the capital.
The Network passed the following mission statement:
'The Friends and user groups at this gathering agree to continue to celebrate our efforts, share our ideas and experiences, and to support each other in valuing and improving London's parks and open green spaces. To that end we agree to launch a London Green Spaces Friends Network. We'd like to see the development of Friends Groups for all London's open green spaces, and borough-wide forums and networks of such groups in all London boroughs.'
After the gathering, the conference chair Dave Morris, Friends of Lordship Rec, Haringey said:
‘It was inspiring to hear about the incredible work being done by local residents and park users all over London to protect and improve their green spaces. We agreed to continue to work together and support each other, to swap information and best practice, and to speak out for all London’s green spaces now and into the future. We call on Londoners to form Friends groups for all green spaces, and to establish Friends Forums in every borough.’
The new London Green Spaces Friends Groups Network will hold a follow-up meeting for Friends groups on 2 November at City Hall.
For further information, please contact tony.leach@london.gov.uk
LPGSF is supporting the launch of London Green Spaces Friends Groups Network, a new forum vowing to work together to value, protect and improve the capital's parks and open spaces.
The network was launched as over 80 representatives of local Friends Groups from seventeen London boroughs gathered together for the first time for a major conference in October. The event celebrated the achievements of over 500 such groups across London, with those present sharing their experiences and ideas, and discussing ways to support each other within their borough and across the capital.
The Network passed the following mission statement:
'The Friends and user groups at this gathering agree to continue to celebrate our efforts, share our ideas and experiences, and to support each other in valuing and improving London's parks and open green spaces. To that end we agree to launch a London Green Spaces Friends Network. We'd like to see the development of Friends Groups for all London's open green spaces, and borough-wide forums and networks of such groups in all London boroughs.'
After the gathering, the conference chair Dave Morris, Friends of Lordship Rec, Haringey said:
‘It was inspiring to hear about the incredible work being done by local residents and park users all over London to protect and improve their green spaces. We agreed to continue to work together and support each other, to swap information and best practice, and to speak out for all London’s green spaces now and into the future. We call on Londoners to form Friends groups for all green spaces, and to establish Friends Forums in every borough.’
The new London Green Spaces Friends Groups Network will hold a follow-up meeting for Friends groups on 2 November at City Hall.
For further information, please contact tony.leach@london.gov.uk
Park Life video launches World Cup bid
With London certain to play a central role in England’s bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, London United has launched a special video to showcase how football lies at the heart of the capital and all its communities.
London’s love of football stretches across all ages, races and genders. The exclusive film will not only demonstrate the diversity and breadth of the sport within the city but also feature a host of iconic landmarks, famous parks and global star players that encapsulate why London is the best location for FIFA to bestow on it the honour of being a key World Cup city.
The ‘Park Life’ theme is integral to London’s bid and is the creative used for the campaign, designed to play heavily on the tradition of the classic kick-around enjoyed by young children and adults throughout their lives in over 3000 London parks and open spaces. More
With London certain to play a central role in England’s bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, London United has launched a special video to showcase how football lies at the heart of the capital and all its communities.
London’s love of football stretches across all ages, races and genders. The exclusive film will not only demonstrate the diversity and breadth of the sport within the city but also feature a host of iconic landmarks, famous parks and global star players that encapsulate why London is the best location for FIFA to bestow on it the honour of being a key World Cup city.
The ‘Park Life’ theme is integral to London’s bid and is the creative used for the campaign, designed to play heavily on the tradition of the classic kick-around enjoyed by young children and adults throughout their lives in over 3000 London parks and open spaces. More
New web resource for different sections of the sector
CABE Space have recently updated their website to make it easier for different sections of the sector, including green space managers and community groups, to find information and resources.
CABE Space have recently updated their website to make it easier for different sections of the sector, including green space managers and community groups, to find information and resources.
Training: Capel Parks and Open Spaces Management Programme
Following a successful pilot in 2006, Capel Manor College is now ready for its third intake on the Capel Parks and Open Spaces Management Programme (CaPOMP). The programme was developed following consultation the London Parks Benchmarking Group and the London Parks and Green Spaces Forum, in response to the need identified for specifically tailored and targeted management development.
This broadly based Management Development Programme is aimed at parks and openspaces staff from public, private and voluntary sectors. It seeks to help participants to enhance their managerial competency through focused consideration of the management of organisations, activities and key resources.
Click here to download more information about the course (PDF)
Following a successful pilot in 2006, Capel Manor College is now ready for its third intake on the Capel Parks and Open Spaces Management Programme (CaPOMP). The programme was developed following consultation the London Parks Benchmarking Group and the London Parks and Green Spaces Forum, in response to the need identified for specifically tailored and targeted management development.
This broadly based Management Development Programme is aimed at parks and openspaces staff from public, private and voluntary sectors. It seeks to help participants to enhance their managerial competency through focused consideration of the management of organisations, activities and key resources.
Click here to download more information about the course (PDF)
Urban Agriculture in the Press
There is a renaissance of urban agriculture occurring worldwide, as illustrated by this range of press clippings.
Click here to view the clippings.
There is a renaissance of urban agriculture occurring worldwide, as illustrated by this range of press clippings.
Click here to view the clippings.