The Future Parks Accelerator (FPA) is a UK-wide £10 million strategic initiative to enable up to eight local authorities and communities to develop and implement bold and innovative funding and management solutions for all their green spaces across their place. The initiative is funded by the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the National Trust [Alliance member].
The FPA will support places to grow the contribution parks make to civic life and serve community needs whilst becoming financially sustainable.
With grant funding and support from a team of experts, the places chosen to be FPA pioneers will work as a cohort to catalyse and share innovation, learn rapidly together and build their capacity to lead for ambitious change both in their place and to benefit the rest of the UK. It will encourage new partnerships whilst supporting the role of local authorities as vital owners, funders and co-managers of green spaces.
The initiative will run over two years and combine £5m in HLF grant funding with £5m in value of National Trust expertise. It is now open for expressions of interest, with a deadline of midday Monday 19th November. A number of places will then be invited to submit a full application later this year with decisions on which places will receive support made in February 2019.
Ros Kerslake, HLF’s CEO, said: “There are big challenges facing parks but equally big opportunities. This strategic initiative will help everyone invested in parks to take action and find new ways to ensure they are safeguarded so they are able to fulfil their potential to deliver health and wellbeing.”
Hilary McGrady, Director-General of National Trust, said: “The National Trust was founded in the late 19th century to protect urban green space from development for everyone in the local community to enjoy. Those founding principles remain as relevant today as public parks and green spaces are again under significant pressure, this time from budget cuts. That’s why we are committed to offering our expertise and experience to help councils and communities to find long-term solutions which will not only safeguard their public green spaces, but allow them to thrive. We look forward to working with ambitious local authorities to find a way to look after these wonderful places that bring millions of people together to enjoy nature, the outdoors and a sense of freedom.”
For more information on Future Parks Accelerator click here.