Answering your questions about the Leeds Partnership Parks project
What is the Leeds Partnership Parks project?
It’s a new and inclusive model of park management with the aim of creating a sustainable future for Leeds’ green spaces.
Why is this important?
Everyone has a right to enjoy nature, whether you are young, elderly, disabled, or from minority ethnic communities. However, a significant number of people continue to have limited access to nature and are often excluded from its benefits. We know that those living with the least access to nature stand to benefit the most from more and better quality public green spaces.
Which parks will benefit from the funding?
The first 2 parks to benefit from the funding are Harehills Park and Burley Park.
Who will be involved?
We will bring together the city council, residents, businesses, local parks Friends Of groups, community organisations, volunteers and the public, to work in partnership to deliver a range of cultural, heritage, sport and recreational activities to parks in Leeds. We will also work with park stakeholders to co-design a vision and management plan for all parks. This park plan will help guide and inform future park improvements, to ensure they benefit local communities and the environment in the long-term.
When will the project start?
The first step for us will be to recruit a CEO to manage the project. The recruitment process will start next month, so please check back for details.
Conversations with members of the communities in both Harehills and Burley Park will take place starting in March 2023. We’re looking forward to hearing all the ideas and suggestions.
How do I nominate a park for the project?
The first 2 parks to benefit from the funding are Harehills Park and Burley Park.
Further parks will be chosen based on the following criteria:
- Community parks failing Leeds Quality Parks (LQP)
- We’re interested in helping community appetite, so evidence of local people wanting help is crucial.
- We’re not strictly limited to just 6 parks, and we’ve done work in other parks across Leeds including help with fundraising with the Leeds Parks & Greenspaces Forum.
We’re also setting up a crowdfunding platform, and are looking at how we help more groups do more in their own park in a systematic way.
There are 63 community parks in Leeds.
You can find a list of parks Friends of groups on the Leeds City Council website.
How can I get involved?
If you are an activity provider, own a business, run a community group, or would like to be involved in the conversations, we’d love to hear from you. Send us an email with your contact details and a brief outline of how you’d like to be involved. We’ll get in touch with you once we have staff, as we’re just volunteer trustees right now!
Who do I contact if I have further questions?
You can email us at: info@loveleedsparks.org.uk
As the project develops we will continue to update our website so keep checking back. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn @loveleedsparks