Major campaign to make Bristol’s parks more accessible and inclusive

Campaign begins to improve West Country parks

The Park Hosts Awards Ceremony to Celebrate Its Incredible Volunteers – SME Bulletin

“Awards Ceremony Honors Exceptional Volunteers at Your Park” – BusinessMole

Double awards win for Redcatch Community Garden - South Bristol Voice

Your Park Celebrates Incredible Volunteers at Awards Ceremony

Park volunteers recognised with awards

PLANS TO ‘REWILD’ COLLEGE GREEN ON FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF GRETA VISIT

Litter station installed in Alice Park to help locals keep green space tidy

Local projects to receive grants thanks to innovative Love Your Park fund

Residents to help decide where community funding should be spent

The independent charity enabling everyone to access parks and their transformative health and wellbeing benefits. We empower communities and cultivate inclusive, nature-rich and engaging park activities. Your Park Bristol & Bath is a locally based charity that uses Bristol and Bath’s parks to deliver positive social change through three key themes: Health – improving physical and mental wellbeing of communities through initiatives that support and provide outdoor activities; Access – championing, enabling and consulting under-served communities to improve access to parks, so that everyone can feel safe, enjoy and benefit from parks and green spaces; Nature – creating, enhancing and sustaining natural habitats through leading and supporting community gardening sessions, enabling our diverse communities to respond to the Ecological Emergency Action Plans and enjoy nature-rich community spaces.

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Charlee Bennett

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Grassroots nature-based charity, Your Park Bristol &amp; Bath, is appealing for 20 local businesses to get their walking boots on and help raise vital funds for the two cities’ parks and green spaces. The charity released shocking figures last month that show one-third of the local population struggle to access their local park. It launched its 12-month campaign, Reimagining Parks, to tackle the barriers, with an initial fundraising target of £30k by October to kickstart the work needed and much bigger ambitions by the end of the 12 months to make significant impact across the 580 or so parks and green spaces across the two cities. It's now launched its 100km Challenge and it’s hoping to raise £10k, with 20 businesses each signing up and committing to raising a minimum of £500. Charlee Bennett, chief executive of Your Park Bristol &amp; Bath, said: “Our Reimagining Parks campaign is off to a great start, with lots of support from the local media and some generous donations and encouragement from our loyal supporter base. But to hit our 12-month ambition and ensure everyone in our region is able to benefit from the nature on their doorstep, we really need local businesses and organisations to get behind us. “We’re looking for 20 businesses to sign up to our 100km Challenge and commit to raising a minimum of £500 each. All they have to do is walk or run 100km during the month of September – or cover the distance any other creative way they choose – and it has the added benefit of encouraging their employees outdoors into their local parks and green spaces.”&nbsp; The charity says the majority of parks and green spaces across the two cities are not inclusively designed, which significantly impacts access to them – in particular, for Disabled people and carers, women and girls, minority ethnic groups, and people in low income areas. The three key factors preventing people from having the confidence or ability to get out into their local parks are physical accessibility, personal safety and mental wellbeing.&nbsp; Your Park’s Reimagining Parks campaign has set a huge ambition for everyone in Bristol and Bath to have a park that is accessible to them within a ten-minute reach of where they live, work or study. That means making them physically accessible for Disabled people and their carers, designed with the safety and enjoyment of women and girls in mind, and used to support people with mental health issues. Charlee says: “Parks are nature-rich, free to use, community assets that are good for everyone’s mental and physical health, but they have historically been designed through a very narrow lens. That means there are literally hundreds of thousands of people in our two cities who feel unable to make the most of their local green spaces. “It’s actually not difficult to make parks more accessible – it involves simple measures like creating wheelchair-friendly access, having accessible toilets, clear sight lines for safety, and introducing inclusive activities such as sensory walks and wellbeing activities. Unfortunately, many of these measures are not possible within the shrinking budgets that local authorities have available to them.&nbsp; “Our campaign is not just changing landscapes, it’s fostering inclusivity, safety and wellbeing. It’s a huge campaign for a small charity like ours to take on, but through our work with local communities over the last five years, we are absolutely clear on what needs to be done and we are determined to start delivering the changes now.” Its initial plan is to create one exemplar park in Bristol (Hartcliffe Millennium Green) and one in Bath (Brickfields Park) to show what a fully accessible and safe park looks like. It also wants to expand its Roots to Wellbeing GP-referral green social prescribing programme that provides weekly sessions in local parks for people with mental health issues to reach 300 more people.&nbsp; For more information about the Reimagining Parks campaign, please go to https://yourpark.org.uk/reimagining-parks.<blockquote>Charlee Bennett, chief executive of Your Park Bristol &amp; Bath, said: “Our Reimagining Parks campaign is off to a great start, with lots of support from the local media and some generous donations and encouragement from our loyal supporter base.&nbsp;&nbsp;We’re looking for 20 businesses to sign up to our 100km Challenge and commit to raising a minimum of £500 each. All they have to do is walk or run 100km during the month of September – or cover the distance any other creative way they choose – and it has the added benefit of encouraging their employees outdoors into their local parks and green spaces.”</blockquote>

Amber Fisher

Local charity seeks 20 businesses to help unlock vital access to Bristol & Bath’s parks and green spaces

Bristol and Bath-based charity, Your Park Bristol &amp; Bath, is marking its fifth anniversary with the launch of an ambitious 12-month campaign to reimagine the two cities’ parks and green spaces and tackle the barriers that it believes means around a third of the local population is prevented from being able to access or fully enjoy them.&nbsp; Your Park Bristol &amp; Bath says the majority of the c. 580 parks and green spaces across the two cities are not inclusively designed, which significantly impacts access to them – in particular, for Disabled people and carers, women and girls, minority ethnic groups, and people in low income areas.&nbsp; According to the charity, the three key factors preventing people from having the confidence or ability to get out into their local parks are physical accessibility, personal safety and mental wellbeing.&nbsp; Its Reimagining Parks campaign, which launches on 9 May, aims to start leading the change, and has set itself a huge ambition for everyone in Bristol and Bath to have a park that is accessible to them within a ten-minute reach of where they live, work or study. That means making them physically accessible for Disabled people and their carers, designed with the safety and enjoyment of women and girls in mind, and used to support people with mental health issues.&nbsp; It is kicking off the 12-month campaign with a two-month £30k fundraising challenge to enable it to get initial work underway in both cities, but it hopes to attract further funding beyond that to help it deliver all of its targets.&nbsp; Charlee Bennett, chief executive of YPBB, says: “Parks are nature-rich, free to use, community assets that are good for everyone’s mental and physical health, but they have historically been designed through a very narrow lens. That means there are literally hundreds of thousands of people in our two cities – and millions beyond – who feel unable to make the most of their local green spaces.&nbsp; “The statistics are horrifying for people who don’t have sufficient access to nature – for example, people growing up with little green space around them are 55% more likely to develop psychiatric disorders in later life, at greater risk of things like depression, anxiety, and obesity, to name just a few things.&nbsp; “It’s actually not difficult to make parks more accessible – it involves simple measures like making information available better, creating wheelchair-friendly access, having accessible toilets, clear sight lines for safety, introducing inclusive activities such as sensory walks and wellbeing activities. Unfortunately, many of these measures are not possible within the shrinking budgets that local authorities, who are responsible for the basic maintenance of parks, have available to them.&nbsp; “Our Reimagining Parks campaign is not just changing landscapes, it’s fostering inclusivity, safety and wellbeing. This is a huge campaign for a small charity like ours to take on, but through our work with local communities over the last five years, we are absolutely clear on what needs to be done and we are determined to start delivering the changes now.”&nbsp; Key targets for the year include:&nbsp; Creating one exemplar park in both Bristol and Bath that is fully accessible to cater for all physical disabilities and differences;&nbsp; Developing a programme of accessible and enjoyable activities, such as sensory walks, supported play sessions, family activities and accessible gardening, in every neighbourhood in Bristol and Bath to support 2,000 people;&nbsp; Having one exemplar park in each city redesigned by a woman, with safety in mind and the introduction of female-focused activities and facilities.&nbsp; Expanding its Roots to Wellbeing GP-referral programme for people with mental health issues to two new areas of health deprivation in Bristol and Bath, to support 100 people each year.&nbsp; Adapting the Roots to Wellbeing programme to provide regular out of hours activities, such as a summer programme of community gardening, and activities for families, to support 100 people in employment and 100 young people struggling with their mental or physical health.&nbsp; The campaign is being officially launched on 9 May at Hartcliffe Millennium Green, which is in a part of Bristol recognised as having one of the highest rates of health deprivation, green space deprivation and Disabled residents. YPBB has been working with the community in Hartcliffe for the past two years and has just completed an accessibility assessment with local Disabled people and carers, laying the groundwork for actionable plans to improve accessibility.&nbsp; Whilst the maintenance of parks in both cities is the responsibility of the two local authorities, they are supported by YPBB, which was created five years ago as only the second UK parks charity to come out of Nesta’s Rethinking Parks programme. In spite of the pandemic, YPBB has firmly established itself thanks to a dedicated core team and supporting volunteers. In 2023, it supported more than 3,000 people through its activities.&nbsp; For more information about the Reimagining Parks campaign or to donate to the campaign, please go to https://yourpark.org.uk/reimagining-parks.<blockquote>“Our Reimagining Parks campaign is not just changing landscapes, it’s fostering inclusivity, safety and wellbeing. This is a huge campaign for a small charity like ours to take on, but through our work with local communities over the last five years, we are absolutely clear on what needs to be done and we are determined to start delivering the changes now."</blockquote>

Charity’s campaign to reimagine parks for the 200,000 people in Bristol & Bath shut out 

“We celebrated the hundreds of park volunteers that go the extra mile to bring their parks to life.” Your Park Bristol &amp; Bath has celebrated its second awards ceremony to honour the incredible park volunteers from across Bristol and Bath. Your Park Bristol and Bath, a Charity founded in February 2019 as part of the national Rethinking Parks programme, transforms how communities can benefit from and support parks and green spaces. They do this by improving access, supporting nature's recovery, and organising mental health community initiatives. On Saturday 03rd February, Your Park celebrated some outstanding volunteers with a ceremony at the Bristol Beacon. Over 100 volunteers attended the awards ceremony, including smaller community groups which make a huge difference to their local parks.&nbsp; The awards are split into two sections, each with a small number of categories. Your Park celebrated six individual park volunteers who made an outstanding contribution to their green space and local community. The categories were Bristol &amp; Bath Volunteer of the Year - People aged 25 and over, Bristol and Bath Young Adult Volunteer of the Year - People aged 16-24 years, and Bristol and Bath Young Volunteer of the Year - People aged under 16 years.&nbsp; Simon, a Youth Worker involved with the Hartcliffe Club for Young People, who were winners of Young Volunteers of the Year Award, said: “It was amazing to see this group of young women’s work and patience rewarded. As we had lunch together, they were instantly asking what the next project was and whether we could litter pick the harbour side?” The second part of the awards, The Community Impact Awards, saw groups of volunteers being recognised for their efforts which fall into three categories: Community Connecters, celebrating projects that have brought people together from all sections of the community, Happy and Healthy, celebrating projects that have improved local people’s health and well-being, and Nature Lovers, celebrating projects that have transformed their park for nature. One park from Bristol and one park from Bath were announced as the winners for each category, alongside the volunteers who made the work possible.&nbsp; Manor Woods Valley Group, located in Bristol, winners of the Nature Lovers category said: “A big thank you everyone for your hard work that has made this possible.” Finally, shortlisted groups from the Community Impact Awards (Community Connecters, Happy and Health and Nature Lovers) took part in the Community Choice Award, an award where the project with the most votes from their community won £200 towards their work. Redcatch Community Garden, located in Knowle, Bristol, were the winners of the Community Impact Award and have received the park funds. Redcatch Community Garden received 301 votes out of nearly 1000.&nbsp; Redcatch Community Garden, winners of The Community Impact Award and Community Connectors Award said: “We are absolutely delighted to win two awards. Huge thank you to the individuals and panel who voted for us, we are thankful and grateful for this recognition and motivated to continue all we do for our community.” The winners of all the awards received vouchers for garden centers and certificates of thanks. If you would like to volunteer and make a difference in your community get in touch with Your Park today: www.yourpark.org.uk/get-involved. The event was made possible by sponsorship from Hargreaves Lansdown.&nbsp; &nbsp;<blockquote>The awards are about celebrating all that volunteers do, across our cities, for their parks and green spaces. Many residents of all ages and backgrounds give up their free time to make our parks and green spaces more welcoming places to be, places which benefit our health and places which support nature. It has been inspiring and heartwarming to read the nominations for all the individuals and groups and I would like to say a big thank you to them for all that they do. We finally wanted to say a huge thanks to Hargreaves Lansdown for sponsoring the awards.” Your Park Bristol &amp; Bath works closely with the two local authorities, Bristol City Council and Bath and North East Somerset Council, who are responsible for the upkeep of the 2,000+ hectares of local parks and green spaces, but the charity operates completely independently.</blockquote>

Stacey Byles

Your Park Celebrates Incredible Volunteers at Awards Ceremony 

Corporate teams of all sizes are experiencing the benefits of being outdoors whilst helping local communities and the environment thrive. Tens of teams including from EDF Energy, BAE Systems Maritime, Atkins Global, Belmont Estate and the Environment Agency have taken part in a variety of activities from tree care and maintenance to step building. Your Park Team Days come as a welcome addition to the ever-changing hybrid working landscape. One team member from Atkins Global said “My team and I really enjoyed our day ... A fantastic host – friendly and knowledgeable about the task and the benefits to the local habitat. I would very much recommend as a team building event. Thank You!”&nbsp; Your Park Bristol and Bath is one of only five UK Park Foundations and the only charity that can work in any public park in Bristol and Bath. With the support of the Enterprise Development Programme and Groundwork UK, the charity is in a unique position to support the needs of companies when it comes to finding meaningful experiences. Through innovative ideas and partnerships, Your Park Team Days meet businesses’ and communities’ needs. Participants are reporting boosted morale and stronger working relationships.&nbsp;<ul><li>88% of attendees say they were able to connect with colleagues.</li><li>96% feel their day had a positive effect on their wellbeing.</li><li>100% of partners would book again.</li></ul>All businesses who book support the charity-led social enterprise where all profits are reinvested back into the community. If your business wants to support both your employees and give back to communities, head to <a href="https://yourpark.org.uk/team-days">https://yourpark.org.uk/team-days</a> to book. &nbsp;<blockquote>Charlee Bennett, CEO of Your Park Bristol and Bath says&nbsp;“Urban parks are so important for community wellbeing and for our planet. Our Team Days are a fantastic opportunity for corporate teams to get together, out in the fresh air and make a real difference locally. By being active, spending time with colleagues, getting into nature and giving back, everyone goes away feeling good”</blockquote>

Bristol based charity, Your Park Bristol & Bath, launches a social enterprise in response to businesses’ hybrid working needs 

Your Park Bristol and Bath has been awarded £219,265 from The National Lottery Community Fund, to expand its unique in-nature therapy service.<img src="https://s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/newspage.com-staging/company/1763/files/8b954c7aa0c15a0a0966c3a16b4016e1ad83a197d971b1a3d3f30714bb3bb8f1708b4a400c6efc6aeccdce746415c50a9538eb364b8b86d6271b4c39e2cb3804.jpeg"> The funding will enable the charity to expand ‘Roots to Wellbeing’ across Bristol, making it a leading green social prescribing programme in the West Country. The service will support over 200 people with complex mental health conditions through weekly in-nature therapy sessions in Eastville Park, Hartcliffe Millennium Green, Stockwood Open Space and Withywood Park. The charity will also create city-wide volunteering opportunities with park groups.&nbsp; People with a range of conditions will benefit, from depression and anxiety, to schizophrenia, Asperger’s and PTSD. The sessions welcome everybody, from people seeking asylum, to those who’ve recently lost a loved one, or to people who have left the care system or prison.One participant said: “I have been off work this week due to sickness and I have been starting to worry about many things including money. I have never grown anything from seed, but watching these little green shoots spring up has given me so much joy and made me feel better. It brings you back from worrying about things and reinforces that the simplest little thing can bring joy." Evaluation of the charity’s Roots to Wellbeing pilot programme has been wholly positive, with results showing that 100% of participants felt happier after taking part. The pilot programme was launched by Your Park Bristol and Bath in 2022 and sessions have taken place weekly in Eastville Park and Hartcliffe Millennium Green, with activities ranging from meditation to leaf prints. To date around 40 people have taken part. National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. The National Lottery Community Fund distributes a share of this to projects to support people and communities to prosper and thrive, including Your Park Bristol and Bath. To find out more visit www.yourpark.org.uk.&nbsp; &nbsp;<blockquote>“Thank you so much to the National Lottery players. This funding will make a significant difference to how many people we can support through our Roots to Wellbeing. We want to continue providing an oasis of calm amongst the stress of life and help more people unlock the health benefits of nature.” Sara Laking, Health and Community Lead at Your Park Bristol and Bath</blockquote>

Your Park Bristol and Bath awarded £219,265 funding for mental health

For this year’s This Love Parks Week (29 July to 5 August) Your Park Bristol and Bath, the charity behind College Green’s wildflower meadows, shares some striking evidence for how Bristol and Bath’s parks can benefit us all. NHS mental health referrals reached a record 4.3 million last year and 1.4 million people are waiting for treatment . Now, rising costs are driving more people into poverty and poorer mental health – the British Medical Journal said “…the cost of living crisis is deepening severe financial hardship and the social security system is not adequate to withstand this. ”&nbsp; With an increasingly stretched NHS, charities like Your Park Bristol and Bath are stepping-in through services like Roots to Wellbeing which provides a six-week course of therapy in Bristol’s parks for people struggling with mental health.&nbsp; GPs are referring patients but anybody feeling low, anxious or isolated can register via the charity’s website too. They have so far supported refugees, people living with diagnosed disorders such as PTSD and people dealing with grief. Charlee Bennett, CEO of Your Park Bristol and Bath says “The sessions are all about trying something new be-it planting, pruning, nature photography or mindful activities like body mapping and meditation. Most people join us having never even considered taking part in something like this. Trying something different really helps build confidence and the activities have a calming effect.”&nbsp; If you think this sounds unlikely, look at the results. After completing the six-week course, 100% of people say they feel happier, 75% feel less isolated, more active and confident. Two thirds are continuing what they have learned at home too. The benefits come as no surprise to the charity because the approach is backed by evidence. Defra estimates that the NHS could save £2.1 billion per year if everyone had regular access to parks and mindfulness is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence as a way to prevent depression in people who have had three or more bouts of depression in the past. What’s more, a six-week course for one person costs the charity just £250, one fifth of the cost of a 12 week CBT course to the NHS. Your Park Bristol and Bath is inviting people to become a Park Companion (www.yourpark.org.uk/love-parks-week) so they can continue their work at this crucial time.<blockquote>My blood pressure is always high. The nurse asked me to think of my happy place so I pictured these sessions. My blood pressure went down. I am happiest here. These sessions have been a lifesaver.</blockquote>

Can parks be the answer to happiness? One charity thinks so.

The independent charity enabling everyone to access parks and their transformative health and wellbeing benefits. We empower communities and cultivate inclusive, nature-rich and engaging park activities. Your Park Bristol & Bath is a locally based charity that uses Bristol and Bath’s parks to deliver positive social change through three key themes: Health – improving physical and mental wellbeing of communities through initiatives that support and provide outdoor activities; Access –…

Your Park Bristol & Bath

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Major campaign to make Bristol’s parks more accessible and inclusive

Campaign begins to improve West Country parks

The Park Hosts Awards Ceremony to Celebrate Its Incredible Volunteers – SME Bulletin

“Awards Ceremony Honors Exceptional Volunteers at Your Park” – BusinessMole

Double awards win for Redcatch Community Garden - South Bristol Voice

Your Park Celebrates Incredible Volunteers at Awards Ceremony

Park volunteers recognised with awards

PLANS TO ‘REWILD’ COLLEGE GREEN ON FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF GRETA VISIT

Litter station installed in Alice Park to help locals keep green space tidy

Local projects to receive grants thanks to innovative Love Your Park fund

Residents to help decide where community funding should be spent