Skip over main navigation
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
Greenspace Scotland
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Contact us Donate to Parks4Life
Menu
  • Parks4Life
  • Why greenspace matters
    • What is greenspace?
    • Greenspace delivers for...
    • Statistics
  • Who we are
    • Our story
    • Mission and strategy
    • Board
    • Team
    • Company Information
  • What we do
    • How we work
    • Greenspaces and...
      • Climate resilience
      • Communities
      • Covid-19
      • Energy
      • Food Growing
      • Health
      • Young People
    • Services
    • Resource library
    • Greenspace map
  • Get involved
    • Find and enjoy greenspace
    • Your greenspace Q&As
    • Start a project
    • Fund your project
    • Support parks
    • Become a member
    • Donate
  • News and events
    • News
    • Ebulletin
    • greenspace scotland events
    • Other events
    • Jobs
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • better-outside
  1. What we do
  2. Greenspaces and...
  3. Better Outside

Better Outside - using our spaces more

**this page is under development but if you have found yourself here we hope that it is useful**

At greenspace scotland we’ve always talked about parks and greenspace as our natural health service, our children’s outdoor classrooms, our community and leisure centres without a roof. Now we need them more than ever.

During the first lockdown we heard lots of heart-warming stories of how local greenspaces, communal gardens, back greens and back courts were helping people connect and cope with the lockdown. There were home-gardening packs, colourful potato sacks, bug bingo, yarn bombing of rainbows and butterflies, and shopping drop offs for older neighbours who were getting through flour supplies at a rate comparable to the Bake Off tent! As lockdown restrictions started to ease, many groups started to find ways of taking the indoors – outdoors, moving activities from community centres, village halls, schools and leisure centres into local parks and greenspaces.

As we continue to adapt to living with covid-19, Better outside – using our spaces more provides examples, ideas, inspiration and resources for taking indoor activities outside.

Get in touch! We would love to hear how you have been using your local greenspace and taking the indoors-outdoors.

Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for supporting work on Better Outside - using our spaces more

Better Outside articles  |  Better Outside Project Examples  |  Better Outside Resource Pack

Arts, culture and heritage outside

Arts, culture and heritage outside

The doors may be closed but music, theatre, cinema and film have continued to entertain and uplift us in new al fresco locations. Read more

Published: 30th November, 2020

Updated: 19th January, 2021

Author: Ian Goodman

Related topics:
  • Better Outside - using our spaces more
Free-range community centre

Free-range community centre

With community centres and village halls out-of-bounds, many groups have relocated activities and services outside, turning our parks and greenspace into community centres without a roof. Read more

Published: 29th November, 2020

Updated: 19th January, 2021

Author: Ian Goodman

Related topics:
  • Better Outside - using our spaces more
Let's keep growing

Let's keep growing

Allotments and community gardens have remained open for individual gardening and organised group activities. There’s been an amazing amount of fruit and veg growing, with surplus veg being distributed to neighbours and foodbanks. Read more

Published: 28th November, 2020

Updated: 19th January, 2021

Author: Ian Goodman

Related topics:
  • Better Outside - using our spaces more
Outdoor play and learning

Outdoor play and learning

From informal play to outdoor nurseries and taking lessons outside, there are lots of ways that parks and greenspaces can be used for play and learning. Read more

Published: 19th November, 2020

Updated: 19th January, 2021

Author: Ian Goodman

Related topics:
  • Better Outside - using our spaces more
Employability and skills

Employability and skills

Many parks and heritage projects are connected with training and employability schemes. Projects have found ways to continue their activities and services by taking more of their activities outside. Read more

Published: 17th November, 2020

Updated: 19th January, 2021

Author: Ian Goodman

Related topics:
  • Better Outside - using our spaces more
Health and wellbeing outside

Health and wellbeing outside

Greenspace really is our natural health service and throughout lockdown we were encouraged to get outside for our daily exercise and many people found this really helped their mental health and wellbeing. Read more

Published: 15th November, 2020

Updated: 19th January, 2021

Author: Ian Goodman

Related topics:
  • Better Outside - using our spaces more
Youth work al fresco

Youth work al fresco

After taking youth work online during lockdown, many groups were excited about swapping digital for the great outdoors. Read more

Published: 15th September, 2020

Updated: 19th January, 2021

Author: Ian Goodman

Related topics:
  • Better Outside - using our spaces more
Technical resources

Technical resources

We have been working with partners to gather examples and develop concepts and designs of the infrastructure needed to support activities happening outside in parks, greenspaces and education/health estate grounds. Read more

Published: 10th September, 2020

Updated: 19th January, 2021

Author: Ian Goodman

Related topics:
  • Better Outside - using our spaces more
Your ideas and examples

Your ideas and examples

Have you got ideas and/or examples for how you can use your local greenspace and take the indoors-outdoors? Read more

Published: 1st September, 2020

Updated: 18th December, 2020

Author: Ian Goodman

Related topics:
  • Better Outside - using our spaces more
Back to top

Showing 10 of 9

Latest

  • audits, strategy and quality

    audits, strategy and quality

    Open space standards and greenspace quality guide

  • Transforming vacant and derelict land

    Transforming vacant and derelict land

    Thousands of hectares of vacant and derelict land across Scotland will be transformed through a new £50 million programme over the next five years.

  • Scotland's Finest Woods Awards open

    Scotland's Finest Woods Awards open

    2021 Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards are open and ready for your entry!!

  • Winchburgh Community Growing Group take a look back

    Winchburgh Community Growing Group take a look back

    Winchburgh Community Growing Group have published a video taking a look back at 2020

Most read

  • Greenspace map

    Greenspace map

    The greenspace map developed with Ordnance Survey provides information about the location and type of all of Scotland's greenspaces.

  • Our story

    Our story

    Since 2002, greenspace scotland has provided a national lead on greenspace, working towards our goal that everyone living and working in urban Scotland has easy access to quality greenspace which meets local needs and improves their quality of life.

  • How we work

    How we work

    We provide a national lead for action on parks and greenspaces. Working in partnership we pioneer new approaches to managing and resourcing greenspace.

  • What is greenspace?

    What is greenspace?

    Greenspaces are the 'green lungs' of our towns and cities which contribute to improving people's physical and mental health by providing places for informal recreation and 'breathing spaces' to take time out from the stresses of modern life.

  • Statistics

    Statistics about the size and importance of greenspace across Scotland.

  • ParkPower is Rethinking Parks project

    ParkPower is Rethinking Parks project

    Nesta have announced that ParkPower will be one of five UK Rethinking Parks Prototyping projects.

  • Ebulletin

    Ebulletin

    Our free, monthly e-bulletin includes local, national and international greenspace-related news, as well as the latest information from greenspace scotland and our members.

  • Find and enjoy greenspace

    Find and enjoy greenspace

    Explore and discover Scotland's wonderful parks and greenspaces using Scotland's greenspace map and MyParkScotland

  • Scotland commits to life-enhancing outdoor play

    Scotland commits to life-enhancing outdoor play

    50 people and organisations, including greenspace scotland, sign up to national pledge on outdoor play and learning.

  • Food Growing Projects

    Food Growing Projects

    Read about our work with local authorities on developing Local Food Growing Strategies and download the learning notes

Tag cloud

Better Outside biodiversity climate change community-placemaking Covid 19 food growing green infrastructure health myparklove2018 nature park ParkPower people Tesco Bags of Help young people young placechangers

Sign up for our newsletter

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address (e.g. [email protected])

Jubilee House, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ

Phone: 07825 678277

Email: [email protected]

greenspace scotland is a registered Scottish Charity (No SC034078) and a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in Scotland (No 236105)

Useful links

  • Contact us
  • Resources
  • Sitemap
  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Accessibility
  • Login
  • My details
  • Log out

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram