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 Resource Pack | Better Outside Ideas Source Book | Better Outside articles | Better Outside Project Examples | Media Release
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
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
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
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
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
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
After taking youth work online during lockdown, many groups were excited about swapping digital for the great outdoors. Read more
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
Thinking about shelter, seating, lighting or planting, there will be something in the Ideas Source Book to inspire you. Read more