Regional forums
GreenSpace now has a national network of its own or affiliated regional forums that focus on promoting the sustainable planning, design, management and improvement of parks and green spaces at a local and regional level.
GreenSpace is committed to developing forums that can drive the open space agenda more effectively to government offices and regional development agencies, agencies and NGOs that influence green space in their region. At the same time, these forums are being encouraged to reach communities in their area.
GreenSpace runs the GreenSpace National Forum where representatives of each region can come together to influence national issues and directly converse with government and its agencies.
Each regional forum meets regularly, if you would like to get involved or find more information please contact Sarah Moore.
Alternatively, the Forum Manager or Chair of each region can be contacted directly for more information, using the contact details provided in each regions section.
GreenSpace is committed to developing forums that can drive the open space agenda more effectively to government offices and regional development agencies, agencies and NGOs that influence green space in their region. At the same time, these forums are being encouraged to reach communities in their area.
GreenSpace runs the GreenSpace National Forum where representatives of each region can come together to influence national issues and directly converse with government and its agencies.
Each regional forum meets regularly, if you would like to get involved or find more information please contact Sarah Moore.
Alternatively, the Forum Manager or Chair of each region can be contacted directly for more information, using the contact details provided in each regions section.
GreenSpace East
Having set their terms of reference and gained commitment from local authorities and other regional agencies, GreenSpace East has held two key networking events.
Furthermore, the established Steering Group have made links to strategic organisations, in particular EEDA, developed a draft business plan, established membership structures and are working towards securing funding to enable recruitment of a Forum Manager.
For more information, please contact:
Paul Van Damme
Parks & Grounds Operations Manager
Chelmsford Borough Council
GreenSpace East Midlands
GreenSpace East Midlands was established in 2006, and comprises of many local authorities in the region who work together to address common concerns and improve the quality of the regions parks and green spaces.GreenSpace East Midlands is developing a broad membership, with supporting email networks and newsletters. County based sub-regional groups are being created where they don't already exist and links are being made to key organisations in the region, in particular, work is being undertaken with Lantra on skills projects.
Latest press release:
09 July - GreenSpace East Midlands launched
Paul Bramhill (CEO, GreenSpace) Climate Change presentation:
Climate Change (11MB)
For more information, please contact:
Ron Marquand
Forum Manager
GreenSpace East Midlands
London Parks & Green Spaces Forum (LPGSF)
LPGSF was established in 2001 through the combined efforts of a number of organisations that shared an interest and involvement in the delivery of park and green space services in London.LPGSF has developed a range of working groups focusing on issues such as biodiversity, access and inclusion, strategic planning, funding and community and safety.
LPGSF also links to other regional organisations such as the London Benchmarking Group and the Training and Green Skills group.
For more information, please contact:
Tony Leach
Director
LPGSF
www.lpgsf.org.uk
GreenSpace North East
Having set their initial terms of reference, GreenSpace North East has set a timetable of topic based meetings for 2007. A steering group has established to explore funding and other opportunities in the region.For more information, please contact:
Dennis Demoily
Parks and Facilities Manager
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
GreenSpace Northern Ireland
Currently in its formative stages, local authorities have met on several occasions to explore the development of a fully fledged forum.However, progress has been delayed during a period of significant local authority restructuring and it is hoped that a forum, possibly combined with authorities in Eire, will emerge.
For more information, please contact:
Fiona Holdsworth
Principal Parks & Cemeteries Services Manager
Belfast City Council
GreenSpace North West
GreenSpace North West (formerly the North West Parks & Green Spaces Forum) was established in 2004 when a number of North West local authorities recognised the need to work together to improve the quality of the regions parks and green spaces.GreenSpace North West has a broad membership which utilises an email network and events to exchange information. Working groups have been developed focusing on community involvement, training and skills and funding.
Locally, sub-regional groups have been established that feed into the Steering Group.
For more information, please contact:
Kirsty Rhind
Forum Manager
GreenSpace North West
www.gsnw.org.uk
Greenspace Scotland
Greenspace Scotland is a Scottish charity working with a wide range of local and national organisations towards our goal that everyone living and working in urban Scotland has easy access to quality greenspaces which meet local needs and improve quality of life.This involves:
- raising the profile and demonstrating the relevance of greenspace to deliver policy priorities including social, health, economic and regeneration outcomes
- working with national organisations, local authorities, community planning partnerships and others to coordinate and support local action on greenspace
- supporting a network of organisations that manage greenspace – including the sharing knowledge and practice through publications, training and networking events
- working in partnership to commission research to inform practice and policy
Julie Procter
Chief Officer
Greenspace Scotland
www.greenspacescotland.org.uk
GreenSpace South East
Currently consulting on their draft terms of reference and working towards securing membership of the forum across the region. Sub-regional groups have been established and are held locally to enable wider communications within the region.The Steering Group is exploring funding opportunities and making links to key organisations within the region, with a view to securing a Forum Manager.
For more information, please contact:
Helen Tranter
Head of Culture and the Visual Environment
Bracknell Forest Borough Council
GreenSpace South West
Having set their terms of reference and gained commitment from local authorities and other regional agencies, including Natural England, GreenSpace South West are working towards securing funding to enable recruitment of a Forum Manager post.Quarterly, topic based meetings are held, and the Steering Group meets regularly to undertake business planning.
For more information, please contact:
Peter Wilkinson
Parks Service Manager
Bristol City Council
GreenSpace South West Wellbeing Event The Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre, Taunton - 13.02.2008
AN EVENT TO STRENGTHEN THE LINKS BETWEEN GREEN SPACE AND THE HEALTH AGENDA.
Green spaces provide communities with many health benefits such as fresh air, shade, food, exercise and contact with nature. Government is asking us all to find ways of coping with health issues such as obesity and depression and experts recognise the value of outdoor exercise and activity in addressing these and other health issues. And yet, do we have the infrastructure and means of delivering these benefits?
The presentations from the event can be downloaded in a pdf available here.
Improving Green Space: Making the Most of the Development Process
13th March 2008, The Livestock Centre, Exeter
To help improve green space through the development process, GreenSpace South West and Natural England have undertaken research with the region's local authorities, from which a number of key issues arose.This event fed back from the research and explored the issues through regional and national case studies and presentations. It also looked to the future regarding The Community Infrastructure Levy and what is needed to make the most of the development process in order to continue to deliver good quality green space through the changing development process.
Presentations from the day are available in a pdf that can be downloaded here, or can be downloaded individually below:
Richard Keating: Improving Green Space: Making the Most of the Development Process
John Crowther: Development Improvement - Transforming Playing Fields into a New Community Park
Mike Hasted: Castlefields Project -Partnership Working and Funding Opportunities
Ross Kennerley: Sherford New Community - A Strategic Partnership
Clare Freeman, Michael Rowland: Strategic Spending of Developers Contributions
Jane Houghton - awaiting presentation
Charles Routh: The Community Infrastructure Levy
Peter Wilkinson: Section 106 - A Strategic Approach
Welsh Parks Forum
The Welsh Parks Forum is a long established group that came together through the amalgamation of similar organisations covering north and south Wales. Their current focus is working towards raising awareness of parks and green space issues with the Welsh Assembly.For more information, please contact:
Derek Price
Head of Parks and Open Spaces
Caerphilly County Borough Council
West Midlands Parks Forum
GreenSpace has linked to the existing West Midlands Parks Forum, an established group that has been in existence for nearly 20 years.GreenSpace are working with the forum to assist them to link to other GreenSpace Forums and national government.
For more information, please contact:
Sally Orton
Head of Arts, Heritage and Parks
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
GreenSpace Yorkshire and the Humber
Currently defining terms of reference and working towards securing membership of the forum across the region. With the support of key authorities in the region such as Wakefield, Leeds and Sheffield it is anticipated that progress will be rapid during 2007/2008.For more information, please contact:
Denise Preston
Chair