August 27, 2014
Parks – opportunity or threat
Over the past twenty years, the decline in Scotland’s public parks was largely halted thanks to £43 million of investment by Heritage Lottery Fund. But after an investigation into the state of the UK’s parks, HLF claim Councils’ investment levels have slipped badly, leaving our parks facing a new funding crisis. New business models for the management and maintenance of parks have been called for. With some fearing privatisation, others are looking to local communities to get on board. Greenspace Scotland have launched a new ‘platform’ – myparkscotland – to raise funds and local engagement.
27/8/14
To view a short film describing MyParkScotland click here
MyParkScotland has been selected as one of 11 UK ‘park trailblazers’ in the new Rethinking Parks programme.
MyParkScotland is an exciting new project which will help people discover and support their local parks. The web-based platform combines elements of crowdfunding, for individual and business giving to support parks and parks projects, with an investment strategy to develop longer term sustainability and endowment funds. It will also be your first port of call if you’re looking to find your local park and what’s on through the interactive hub which provides information about park events, facilities and activities.
greenspace scotland is initially developing MyParkScotland in partnership with the City of Edinburgh and Glasgow City Councils, Future Cities and the Edinburgh Friends Forum. Longer term, the intention is to extend it across Scotland and we’ve already had positive interest from a number of other areas.
MyParkScotland is our response to the challenges highlighted in the Heritage Lottery Fund ‘State of the UK’s Public Parks 2014’ report which warned that unless future funding is generated in new ways, parks are at serious risk of rapid decline.
Funded by Nesta, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund, the £1million Rethinking Parks programme is supporting the most innovative and promising new business models to enable our parks to thrive for the next century.