Four UK parks are set to benefit from £100,000 of investment which will encourage local people to get active in their local park. Capital grants from The London Marathon Charitable Trust have been awarded through the Active Spaces programme delivered in partnership with Fields in Trust. The four recipients of a capital award of £25,000 each are People’s Park in Ballymena, Mid and East Antrim; Halewood Park in Knowsley, Merseyside; West Pilton Park in Edinburgh and Gelligaled Park in Rhonda Cynon Taf. Each award will enhance a vibrant green space to encourage good health and physical activity.
Well-designed and well-maintained, accessible green space can have a positive impact on public health. Recent research by Fields in Trust demonstrates the significant health and wellbeing benefits for those who visit parks and green spaces regularly. An estimated £111M per year is saved by the NHS immediately, just from prevented GP visits alone. Encouraging those who do not currently use parks regularly to do so could save further health expenditure.
Learning from these insights, the Active Spaces programme is supporting physical activity projects to inspire the most inactive communities to get active and use their local outdoor spaces. Funded by The London Marathon Charitable Trust this programme pays for the cost of protecting open green spaces in perpetuity for future generations to use and enjoy. The programme also offers each site £5,000 to help initiate community participation in sports and physical activities on local parks and green spaces across the UK. Four £25,000 capital grants, one in each home nation, will also allow substantial improvements to parks and green spaces which have been protected.
Active Spaces is the first UK-wide funding programme from The London Marathon Charitable Trust which makes grants to projects that encourage people to get active. The funding comes from the surplus generated by the iconic mass participation events organised by London Marathon Events Ltd.
Sarah Ridley, Chief Grants Officer for The London Marathon Charitable Trust, said: “Congratulations to these four deserving winners; each has demonstrated remarkable potential to transform physical activity opportunities for its local community and visitors. Since 1981, The London Marathon Charitable Trust has funded a huge range of projects that have inspired millions of people to get active, and now we look forward to seeing these projects deliver more such opportunities well into the future.”
Chief Executive of Fields in Trust, Helen Griffiths, said: “We know that parks and green spaces contribute to health and wellbeing; people enjoy greater life satisfaction including both improved physical and mental health, directly as a result of regularly using parks and green spaces. We congratulate each of the recipients on their award which will contribute to happier and healthier local communities able to enjoy their parks in perpetuity.”
One of the award recipients Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Lindsay Millar said: “I’m delighted People’s Park will be benefitting from exciting new facilities. This initiative means the park is also protected from future development, so it remains an active space for recreational use. Active spaces are proven to help people stay physically and mentally well, they are where memories are made, and precious spare time enjoyed, so it’s great to see them continue to do that for generations to come.
“Health and wellbeing is one of council’s priorities and it’s reassuring to see this commitment supported by long establish organisations like Fields in Trust in partnership with The London Marathon Charitable Trust.”
The four recipients of capital awards are:
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For further information, and photographs of capital award winning sites please contact:
Richard McKeever | Communications Manager | Fields in Trust
e richard.mckeever@fieldsintrust.org | t 020 7427 2117 | m 07940 072832
Notes to Editors
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