We’ve secured funding to improve Leeds parks
We’re delighted to announce that we have been awarded £249,995 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, for the ‘Leeds Partnership Parks’ project.
The funding for the ‘Leeds Partnership Parks’ project will enable us to 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 at parks in Leeds.
6 pilot parks will be selected, with a particular focus on those communities with the lowest access to public green space.
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.
The importance of public parks and green spaces has become more apparent since the pandemic. A report by. Vivid Economics and Barton Willmore for the National Trust showed that nearly two-thirds of people have appreciated local green spaces more due to Covid-19, and some inner-city parks have experienced close to a 300% increase in visits in 2021.
Recent data shows that 91% of Leeds residents said they had visited a park in the last year, and 83% of households with children under the age of five will visit their local park at least once a month.
Councillor Salma Arif, Executive Member for Leeds City Council, Public Health and Active Lifestyles said; ‘I am delighted that Love Leeds Parks have been successful in their bid to raise funds for community parks in Leeds. Parks and green spaces have many benefits for the environment, social cohesion, the local economy and particularly for health and wellbeing, so anything that can be done to get more people of all ages out and about and enjoying them is very welcome, especially in inner city areas where there is less public green space available to use. I would like to congratulate Love Leeds Parks on their achievement, Leeds City Council is very much looking forward to working with them in our parks on this exciting project over the next 3 years.
The first 2 parks to benefit from the funding will be Harehills Park and Burley Park. Conversations will take place with members of the community for their ideas about park improvements and activities starting in March 2023.
To get involved in the conversations, follow Love Leeds Parks on our social media accounts @LoveLeedsParks on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and keep checking back to the website.
If you have any questions about the project, see our Frequently Asked Questions page.