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  1. Get involved
  2. Your greenspace Q&As

Your community greenspace

The place to find help and advice to make the most of your greenspace

At greenspace scotland, we receive lots of calls and emails from people and groups looking to get more involved with their local greenspace, from finding out who owns it, to organising events and volunteering activities, fundraising for improvements and responding to planning applications, through to community leasing and ownership options.

There is a lot of information available, but sometimes you need a helpful guide to navigate your way through the plethora of online advice and support. We hope that ‘Your Community Greenspace’ will help signpost you to the right information.

Your Community Greenspace is for you:

  • Whoever you are - individual, community group or someone who’s job it is to support communities
  • Whatever your greenspace – park, garden, playing field, play area, woodland, grassed area, allotment, community garden, cemetery, hospital grounds, school grounds, housing estate greenspace, path, disused railway line, river or canal, derelict, vacant or contaminated land
  • Wherever you are – it’s been developed primarily for greenspaces in Scotland, but many of the resources and links will be relevant wherever you are in the UK or beyond

Your Community Greenspace is structured around some of the most commonly asked questions, please scroll down to find the closest match to your question or query...


This is an ever-changing landscape and websites come and go, so if you find any broken links, please let us know, and help us keep the resource up-to-date by sending us through links to new information, advice and support. We welcome questions and feedback - and would love to hear how you’ve used the resource to make the most of your local greenspace.

1 - Where is my nearest greenspace?

Find your local greenspace

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OS Greenspace Map

Use this free interactive digital map to find existing accessible greenspace - parks, public gardens, playing fields, sports areas, play spaces, allotments and community gardens - near you. 
Hint: you don't need to sign in or take 7 day free trial for greenspace layer, just type into 'search for location'

MyParkScotland

Explore parks information supplied by Edinburgh, Glasgow, Falkirk and Fife Councils, as well as many local community-led crowd funding projects from all across Scotland on MyParkScotland.

Your Local Council

Local Council managed parks may be listed on their website. Each Council's Food Growing Strategy may list current growing sites, as well as potential sites or the process to explore future community growing sites.

The bigger picture

Information on the extent and type of urban greenspace across all 32 Local Authorities can be found in The Third State Of Scotland's Greenspace Report

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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2 - Who owns the greenspace, and who else might be involved with it?

Find out who owns your local greenspace

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Registers of Scotland

The Registers of Scotland website hosts ScotLIS, Scotland's Land Information Service, which provides digital access to land and property data. Properties can be searched on a map for free. More detailed information or older sassines information that has not yet been digitally mapped can be purchased for a fee.

Local Council & Friends of Parks groups

Contact your Local Council. For parks, your local authority should also have a list of existing Friends of Parks groups. For example Edinburgh Friends of Parks Groups; Glasgow City Council contact; and there is an independent Glasgow Parks Forum. The register of Vacant & Derelict Land has maps by Council area. 

Housing Association

Amenity ground & playparks in residential areas may be owned and managed by your local Housing Association  

Community Council & Community Development Trusts

To find out who else may be involved locally in a piece of greenspace, contact your local Community Council or Community Development Trust 

Scottish Land Commission 

The Scottish Land Commission is tasked with improving the openness and transparency around decisions on land-use and land ownership. They have published a good practice guide (or Protocol) on Transparency of Ownership and Decision Making and a Template to support land owners and managers in providing information about the ownership and use of land detailing who owns the land, their plans for it, and how communities can get in touch with them. This is new in 2020, so there will be few completed, but it does indicate that making such information open and transparent should become common.  

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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3 - A planning application has been submitted for my greenspace – what can I do?

How to engage with a planning application

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Local Council

Your Local Council's Local Development Plan will indicate if the greenspace is protected open space or has been designated as of a special value. Live planning applications can be viewed and commented on via the Council's website.

Planning Aid Scotland

PAS provides free, impartial, professional planning advice to help people understand and engage with the planning system. Their website hosts a range of information sheets, and individual enquiries can be submitted by email. 

Local representatives

Contact your Community Council, Local Authority Councillor, MSP or MP to gather information, allies and to show them the site so that they can see why it is important to the community and how many people care about it.

Fields In Trust

Fields in Trust's online publication Watch This Space is packed with ideas to help you Champion, Protect and Support your greenspace.

Protecting Nature

RSPB Scotland's Local Planning Pack (2016) has information on protecting birds, wildlife, trees etc. The leaflets aim to give you the knowledge to influence local decisions and protect wildlife which is important to you.

Scottish Land Commission

Established as a result of Land Reform legislation, one of the Commission's roles is to promote and support change and good practice in the way land is owned and used in Scotland. They publish an ongoing set of Protocols including

  • Community Engagement in Decisions Relating to land
  • Transparency of Ownership and Land Use Decision-Making
  • Land Ownership by Charities
  • Land Ownership by Private Trusts 
  • Diversification of Ownership and Tenure
  • Negotiating Transfer of land to Communities

All of which aim to give practical advice to land owners, land managers and to communities in the fair and sustainable use of land, as set out in the Scottish Government's Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement. There are case studies of good practice on the website, and their Good Practice Team that can be contacted for advice and practical support.  

Case Study

The Dear Wild Place small book, part of the Postcards from Scotland series, describes how encouraging community activity in Glasgow's North Kelvin Meadow (The Children's Wood) made all the difference in showing how much a greenspace was used and loved, and ultimately thereby preventing its loss to development.

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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4 - How do I run events and activities in my local greenspace?

Information about running events and activities in your local greenspace

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Get permission from the landowner

First, find out who owns or manages the greenspace - see Q2 Who owns the greenspace, and who else might be involved in it?  If it is a Council park, a 'Permission to Use' form usually needs to be submitted and approved.

Are you insured?

Check if the landowner's insurance will cover what you plan to do - or do you need your own insurance? 
Membership of some national organisations can provide discounted insurance cover. For example The Conservation Volunteers' Community Network comes with an offer of discounted insurance for conservation groups. Membership of TCV is free in 2020, and includes a dedicated support website, competitively-priced insurance, discounts from TCV’s suppliers of tools, trees, seeds and equipment & funding information, access to grants and much, much more!

Assess the risks

The Royal Horticultural Society's Running a community event webpage offers useful simple advice for running a community garden event, including an example risk assessment and promotion.

Work in partnership with another local community group

You could work in partnership with an existing local community organisation, which has experience, procedures and insurance in place. See Q2 Who owns the greenspace and who else might be involved with it?  

Contact your local Third Sector Interface for information on other local community groups, and look on local noticeboards and social media.

Have a Field Day

Fields in Trust encourage communities to organise Have a Field Day events across the country on the first Saturday in July to celebrate parks and greenspaces and community. Next one - 3 July 2021. Their publication Watch This Space also covers ideas on how to Champion, Protect and Support you local greenspace.

Consider organising The Big Lunch (once COVID-19 allows) which includes Eden Project Communities resources & ideas.

Note: Covid-19 restrictions and guidance

It is important that you follow current covid-19 restrictions and guidance when planning an event or activity. For general information and advice, read section 4 in Managing Parks and Greenspaces during Covid-19

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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5 - How do we work with the landowner to help take care of our local greenspace?

Working with the landowner to help take care of your local greenspace

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Park Management Plans - What's already happening or planned?

Contact your local Council to find out if there is Park Management Plan for your local park or greenspace. This may set our improvement plans for the park and ways that you can get involved. You could work with your local Council to help develop a Park Management Plan.

Establish a constituted community group, a Residents Association or a "Friends of" Group

Your local Third Sector Interface will give advice and support on setting up a community group.
If your greenspace is a local Council park, consider joining an existing Friends Group, or if there isn't one, consider starting a new Friends group - see for example Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth & Kinross
Parks Community UK has examples and ideas for setting up a Park Friends Group.

It's Your Neighbourhood & Beautiful Scotland

It's Your Neighbourhood is a non-competitive way to get helpful ideas, feedback and inspiration to start involving your community in beautifying and cleaning up your area.

Beautiful Scotland is the next step up, being competitive, with winners going forward to Britain in Bloom. Both It's Your Neighbourhood and Beautiful Scotland encourage horticulture, environmental responsibility and community participation. They are run by the Royal Horticultural Society  and organised in Scotland by Keep Scotland Beautiful 

Participation Requests

Community Empowerment Legislation allows for community controlled bodies to have influence over the services they receive from public bodies (e.g. Local Authorities, Health Boards etc). A Participation Request is a tool that enables a community group or body to request to be part of decision-making processes that seek to make improvements to public services. They have not been widely used; discussions, compromise and agreement with the public body landowner should always be the starting point. A Guide is available here  

Online Resources & Enquiries Services

  • Social Farms & Gardens Scotland provide information, advice and support for community gardens
  • Trellis provide Know-How and support for Therapetic Gardening
  • Scottish Allotments & Gardens Society is the place to go for Allotment Groups and individual plotholders 

These organisations can also direct you towards other community groups with similar interests or projects to yours.  

Scottish Land Commission

Established as a result of Land Reform legislation, one of the Commission's roles is to promote and support change and good practice in the way land is owned and used in Scotland. They publish an ongoing set of Protocols including

  • Community Engagement in Decisions Relating to land
  • Transparency of Ownership and Land Use Decision-Making
  • Land Ownership by Charities
  • Land Ownership by Private Trusts 
  • Diversification of Ownership and Tenure
  • Negotiating Transfer of land to Communities

All of which aim to give practical advice to land owners, land managers and to communities in the fair and sustainable use of land, as set out in the Scottish Government's Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement. There are case studies of good practice on the website, and their Good Practice Team that can be contacted for advice and practical support.  

Managing Scotland's parks and greenspaces during Covid-19

This document (August 2020) brings together the latest guidance from Scottish Government, with advice from Public Health Scotland, sportscotland, Visit Scotland and a range of other organisations to help local authorities and other greenspace managers manage parks, gardens and greenspaces safely during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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6 - How do we take ownership of the greenspace ourselves?

Information about how to take on community ownership and management of your local greenspace

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Ten Steps to Community Ownership

An excellent place to start on your journey. This resource, developed by Highlands & Islands Enterprise, covers: starting up; understanding your community; consider your options; working with external help (consultants; professional); knowing your asset; refining your plans; establishing good governance; fundraising for the project; preparing to own; achieving community ownership.  

If the landowner is not interested in negotiating a sale...

You may wish to consider Field in Trust's Green Spaces For Good programme where the community and Fields in Trust works in partnership with landowners to protect parks & greenspace through a binding legal commitment with the landowner. This allows it to be protected in perpetuity for current and future generations to enjoy.

You may wish to Register for a Community Right to Buy if and when the land is put up for sale. The land may be privately or publicly owned. It is a rigorous process and requires making a positive and evidence based case for what the community will do with the land. There is advice online , with contact details for the Community Land Team at the Scottish Government.

If the land is owned by a Local Authority or a Public Body...

The Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) offers advice and someone to talk to in relation to a community body interested in taking over publicly owned land or buildings - this is commonly termed Asset Transfer. It is useful to remember that under the Community Empowerment Legislation, Asset Transfer can mean ownership OR long term leasing. Communities have a right to request the takeover of publicly owned land or buildings that they feel they can make better use of for the benefit of local people. 

If the land is owned by Forestry and Land Scotland...

The Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS) sets out how community groups can acquire land or buildings managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, for the benefit of their communities. As with all Asset Transfers the request can be for purchase OR long term leasing. The website includes how the process works, information on community requests currently being considered and results of previous requests.

If the land is privately owned...

Community Land Scotland is a membership organisation for community land owners, and its staff can provide advice, contacts and information for communities interested in asset ownership from private landowners.  

Scottish Land Commission

Established as a result of Land Reform legislation, one of the Commission's roles is to promote and support change and good practice in the way land is owned and used in Scotland. They publish an ongoing set of Protocols including

  • Community Engagement in Decisions Relating to land
  • Transparency of Ownership and Land Use Decision-Making
  • Land Ownership by Charities
  • Land Ownership by Private Trusts 
  • Diversification of Ownership and Tenure
  • Negotiating Transfer of land to Communities

All of which aim to give practical advice to land owners, land managers and to communities in the fair and sustainable use of land, as set out in the Scottish Government's Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement. There are case studies of good practice on the website, and their Good Practice Team that can be contacted for advice and practical support.  

Funding

The Scottish Land Fund and National Lottery Community Assets Fund are currently closed to new requests for funding. Keep an eye on the greenspace scotland Funding web pages

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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7 - How do I find out what other communities are doing, and learn from them?

What are other communities doing to enhance, use and improve their local greenspace?

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Visit them!

The Community Learning Exchange fund is currently paused, but is taking notes of interest for future rounds. It usually offers 100% funding (up to a max £750) to cover the costs of a visit, including a fee for the community group being visited. It is managed by the Scottish Community Alliance , a membership organisation of national support organisations including greenspace and growing networks. The member organisations can recommend community groups or sites that may be useful for you to visit.

On-line case studies

There are many interesting case studies of projects and groups online:

  • Social Farms and Gardens - map of projects (at bottom of this web page link
  • Trellis Scotland (Therapeutic gardening) -map and directory of projects
  • greenspace scotland including food growing and Young Placechangers 
  • My Park Scotland - completed and in progress crowdfunding projects 
  • Community Woodlands Association - map and case studies
  • Community Land Scotland - members and case studies
  • Development Trusts Association Scotland - map and case studies
  • Scottish Gardeners' Forum - links to local member Gardening Clubs and Horticultural Societies across Scotland 
  • Scottish Fruit Trees - school and community orchards
  • Parks Community UK - case studies and examples from across the UK

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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8 - We’d like to improve our greenspace for insects & wildlife…

How to improve the biodiversity of your local greenspace

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Parks and greenspace can be oases for nature and wildlife in the heart of our towns and cities, and play an important role in connecting natural habitats. There are a range of excellent online resources to help you make a home for nature in your local greenspace:

Froglife Scotland - wildlife ponds, amphibians and reptiles

Plantlife Scotland - wild flowers, plants and fungi

Butterfly Conservation Trust - butterflies and moths

British Dragonfly Society

Buglife Scotland - invertebrates and habitats

Scottish Wildlife Trust - how to help the wildlife on your doorstep

RSPB - give nature a home in your garden

NatureScot - Biodiversity for everyone including communities, teachers, land managers, businesses

NatureScot - pollinators resources


Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs) 
Most Local Authorities work in partnership with national environmental agencies and local biodiversity organisations to deliver local biodiversity action plans. Find out about what your LBAP Partnership is doing.

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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9 - We’d like to look after or create woodland…

Create a woodland in your local greenspace

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Community Woodland Association

This is the representative body of Scotland's community woodland groups, of which there are about 200. Map of members.  Online Information Sheets, Funding information and Development Officer contacts.

Woodland Trust Scotland

Free trees available for schools and communities. The Woodland Trust Scotland is a charity whose aim is to restore and extend native woodland and trees. It manages and owns about 60 woodlands in Scotland that are free to visit.

Forestry and Land Scotland

Forestry and Land Scotland is the Scottish Government agency responsible for managing our national forests and land.
* Look at the land management plan for your local forest, and comment on plans in development
* Information, contacts and guidance on how communities and individuals can get involved 
* Permissions and permits to run events or undertake certain events in the national forest 

Funding

The Community Woodland Association have online information on funding and through their membership keep up to date with the sources of funds that community groups are managing to raise. 

Scottish Forestry manages the Scottish Government's national Forestry Grant Scheme to support the creation of new woodland and the sustainable management of existing woodland.

Check out greenspace scotland's Funding web pages to keep up-to-date with the latest funding news

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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10 - We would like to grow fruit and vegetables…

Food growing in your local greenspace

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greenspace scotland - Our Growing Community

The Our Growing Community pack has been developed to help Scottish communities to explore new places and more ways to grow their own fruit and vegetables. The aim is to inspire and encourage communities to explore growing in a wide range of spaces - school grounds, high streets and town centres, railway stations, local parks to name a few. It also has ideas for lots of different types of growing from allotments and community gardens, to raised beds and community orchards, vertical growing and community market gardens, as well as temporary growing spaces. There are also links to other food growing publications, case studies and projects.

Social Farms and Gardens

Social Farms and Gardens is a membership organisation for community gardens and growing groups. Their Scottish team provide advice and guidance to community groups and can signpost you to other growing groups that you can also learn from. They have a range of online resources, including a comprehensive Covid-19 Reopening after lockdown - Glossary of what to consider 

Allotments

Contact your Council to find out what allotment sites and community growing groups are in your local area. Local Authorities should have completed a 5 year local Food Growing Strategy by April 2020, but Covid-19 has slowed progress in some areas.

Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society 

SAGS supports allotment sites and plot holders across Scotland. It is a membership organisation for individuals who have an allotment, are interested in allotments and for allotment groups. 
*Links to other useful websites
*Publications that can be downloaded, including Plan To Grow (2019), Good Governance (2018) and Grow Your Own Allotment Site (for groups)

The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society

The Caley encourages and supports a wide range of horticultural and gardening interests, including a range of educational projects, and a range of useful web resources, including: Gardening with children and Gardening hints and tips. For inspiration, plan a visit to the demonstration allotment Caley Allotment, Cameron Toll, Edinburgh and check out their programme of workshops and events

Community-led social enterprises

Across Scotland there are an increasing number of community and social enterprises involved in local food growing, take a look at:
*Urban Roots - south side of Glasgow
*Locavore - Glasgow
*Edible Estates - Edinburgh

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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11 - We want to use greenspace for outdoor learning…

Using your local greenspace to promote learning

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For a quick summary on why outdoor play and learning is so important read the National Position Statement on Outdoor Play and Learning. This has been signed by more than 50 organisations (including greenspace scotland).

There are lots of resources and practical support for outdoor learning in greenspaces:

Learning through Landscapes Scotland

LtL Scotland work with educators and teachers to promote, support, and train educators; and to develop outdoor learning. They have a range of online resources and outdoor lesson ideas to download. The Local School Nature Grants Programme provides a free outdoor learning training session and £500 worth of outdoor resources. Learning in Local Greenspace is a fully funded programme open to schools with a catchment within the 20% most disadvantaged areas of Scotland, offering long-term staff training on leading lessons outdoors, resources and more.

Learning in Local Greenspace - NatureScot 

Learning in Local Greenspace provides a suite of resources building on schools' experiences of taking learning beyond the school gate. There are five documents to download:
*Beyond your boundary - easy steps to learning in local greenspace
*Professional learning - 6 steps to using local greenspace for outdoor learning
*greenspace audit
*Questionnaire to inform action
*Action Plan template 

UPDATE: Published in summer 2020, the Greenspace Map for Outdoor Learning is an interactive web mapping tool to help you find local greenspaces that may provide outdoor learning opportunities.

Outdoor and Woodland Learning Scotland

OWL Scotland supports Forest Schools and Forest Kindergarten, with training and events, online resources, advice, networking and a directory of local OWL groups. There is support for starting a group and some funding available.  

Royal Horticultural Society

The RHS run a Campaign for School Gardening with resources, training and 5 levels of Schools Awards

The John Muir Award

The John Muir Trust runs the John Muir Award - an environmental programme designed to be of interest to all - groups, families, individuals; schools. Four challenges lie at the heart of the award: discover a wild place, explore it, conserve it, share your experiences. Check out case studies (schools & colleges, individuals & families, youth sector, adult groups) and resources.

Play Scotland

Play Scotland support the development and promotion of children and young people’s play in Scotland. They provide Outdoor Play and Learning resources for parents, providers, the play workforce and policy makers, to promote quality accessible free play. 

The Playful Pedagogy Resources aim to support everyday learning adventures across the school by integrating children’s play experiences with curricular learning.

Also check out Outdoor Classroom Day  

Outdoor Learning: The Extended Classroom

In 2014, Architecture & Design Scotland led a project looking at opportunities and ways to plan for learning. This included case studies across Scotland where schools had embraced outdoor learning opportunities beyond the school wall. The school case studies are: Kirkcudbright Academy, Tain Royal Academy, Perth Academy, Hillpark Secondary School, Speyside High School, Liberton High School and Gairloch High School. There is a short video, case studies and pamphlet. 

Learning and Teaching Scotland

Curriculum for Excellence through Outdoor Learning 2010

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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12 - We want to use the greenspace for Play…

Using your local greenspace for outdoor play

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Playing outdoors is vital for children’s health and wellbeing. Research shows it boosts physical activity and promotes happiness and wellbeing. It helps them form friendships, learn vital skills and have fun!

Play Scotland

Play Scotland support the development and promotion of children and young people’s play in Scotland. They provide Outdoor Play and Learning resources for parents, providers, the play workforce and policy makers, to promote quality accessible free play.

Take a look at: 
*Outdoor Play and Learning resources
*Outdoor Classroom Day  
*Loose Parts Play 
*Playful Communities
*Play after Lockdown - a Play England publication

Thrive Outdoors

Make time for outdoor play is a downloadable series of hints and tips for playing outdoors from Inspiring Scotland's Thrive Outdoors programme.

Play rangers

Across Scotland, Play Rangers provide opportunities to access free play within a community - on street corners, in local parks or woodland. Inspiring Scotland have produced a Play Ranger Toolkit to help you get started.

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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13 - We want to celebrate the history of our greenspace…

Sharing the history of your local greenspace

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Many parks and greenspaces have a fascinating history...

Glasgow Green, Scotland's oldest park started life as a drying green. Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline was gifted by the philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie. Saughton Park in Edinburgh hosted the Scottish National Exhibition in 1908. There's a grove of fossil trees in Glasgow's Victoria Park.

What will you discover about your park?

Start local

Talk to the staff at your local Library. Is there a local History Society or Heritage Group in your area? 

And don't forget your granny! Local people may have memories, stories and traditions about the local park from their childhood or from stories they were told as a child. When Beardmore Park was being created in Glasgow, local school children discovered it was the site of the Beardmore Iron Works - a fascinating connection to Glasgow's industrial heritage.

Parks now and then - from the archives

For the Parks4Life project, we put out a call through Facebook for vintage and archive pictures of people using their local parks. We were delighted by the range of photos people shared with us from the 1880s through to the 1980s! It would be lovely to recreate some of these images by taking photos from the same locations and perhaps hold events to celebrate the special history of your greenspace.

Canmore (the National Record of the Historic Environment) has a wonderful online collection of archive images and drawings

From the air

Can you find archive aerial images of your park? Take a look at the National Collection of Aerial Photography 

...and who knows what a quick Google search will uncover!

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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14 - I want to walk or run more in greenspace…

Using your local greenspace to walk and run more

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Paths for All

Walking for Health - Trained walk leaders lead Health Walks across Scotland. Find a walk in your area, or get support to start one. Some are specifically Dementia Friendly or Cancer Friendly.

Parkrun

Find a local Parkrun event, or get support to start one locally
Due to covid-19, Parkrun events in Scotland are currently suspended, but have restarted in England.

National Cycle Network

The Sustrans National Cycle Network routes are designed for walking and cycling. 

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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15 - I want to cycle more in greenspace…

Using your local greenspace to promote cycling

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Sustrans

Much of the 2,371 miles of National Cycle Network in Scotland passes through greenspace. Check out Sustrans useful tips for cycling or scooting to school, cycling for beginners and commuting.
Find easy to access information on family friendly cycle routes and one day cycles using the National Cycle Network on the Visit Scotland website

Cycling Scotland

Cycling Scotland run projects promoting cycling with pre-school groups, Youth Groups and encouraging women to cycle more. They run Bikeability Scotland - the national cycle training programme for school children - and offer training courses including how to lead a group of cyclists.

All-ability cycling

An increasing number of parks provide All-ability Bike Centres offering people the chance to get cycling, whatever their ability or background, with a range of adaptive bikes as well as standard solo bikes and tandems.

Mountain Biking in Scotland

The Mountain Biking in Scotland website has all the information and resources you need to go Mountain Biking in Scotland. They also promote the development of new mountain biking facilities, through information, toolkits, courses and resources.  

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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16 - How do I help improve my local community, including its greenspace?

Improving your local community and greenspace

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See also Q5: helping to take care of your local greenspace

Involving your community

The practical COSS publication Involving Your Community has been updated in 2020. Involving your community in developing and managing your community asset project is critical. The guide includes advice on why involving your community through information, consultation and engagement is so important and provides tips on the best methods to use and where to go for further ideas, advice and support.

Community Action Planning

Community-led action planning involves a community working with partners to explore what the community is like at the moment, how they would like things to change and who will do what to make those changes happen. It often results in a 5 year Community Action Plan being produced, and many Community Development Trusts (or "community anchor organisations") have been established to take that plan forward. The community anchor organisation is constituted so as to be able to actively involve the community in delivering on the Community Action Plan.

Many of these community-led organisations are members of DTAS (Development Trusts Association Scotland) which offers networking and support, plus case studies and members' stories.

Community Land Scotland is the membership and networking organisation for community groups who own, or aspire to own, land and buildings.

For inspiration and ideas, take a look at some of these Community Action Plans:
Aberdeenshire | East Ayrshire | Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park communities | Coalfield Community Futures covering communities in Clackmannanshire, Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian | Local Energy Scotland supported communities 

Placemaking

Involving communities in influencing the place they live in is increasingly seen as a key part of Placemaking in the work of planners and professionals. 

The Place Standard tool provides a structured way for a community to have a conversation about what is good about their place, and what could be improved. It covers physical things like buildings, greenspaces and transport, as well as social aspects like how safe a place feels, and the sense of community.

The Town Centre Toolkit produced by Scotland's Towns Partnership, contains ideas and examples of how people and organisations can make their town centre more attractive, more active, and more accessible. It should be used as a source of inspiration rather than a set of recommendations.

Community placemaking - greenspace scotland

greenspace scotland has been working with communities on placemaking since 2005 - find our more and read some case studies   

Our Young Placechangers projects put young people in the lead role – bringing together the wider community to look at local spaces and plan improvements. The Young Placechangers programme has used a co-production approach to develop and pilot a training and support programme enabling young people to transform both the place they live, their relationship to it and the wider community. and supporting young people to take the lead - case studies

ParkPower explores the role that parks and greenspaces can play in decarbonising Scotland's energy systems. We have created a ParkPower Community Guide for community groups interested in using greenspaces for green energy projects - case studies

Communities Channel Scotland

The Communities Channel Scotland is supported by SCDC (Scottish Community Development Centre) with funds from the Scottish Government and aims to bring together all things community development.

Funding

The greenspace scotland funding webpage is regularly updated with information about current funding programmes and grants that are relevant to community activities in parks and greenspaces

MyParkScotland is Scotland's only crowd funding platform specifically for parks and greenspaces helping you raise funds for your project online and through text-giving. 

Scotland's Towns Partnership updates a regular STP Funder Finder which summarises a wide range of funds, including those for undertaking community consultations, as well as implementing some of the actions  

Sustran's Pocket Places Scotland supports communities to find simple, quick solutions to improve the look and feel of their streets. 

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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17 - My neighbourhood lacks greenspace, but has empty and derelict bits of land - could these become greenspace?

Creating new greenspaces from vacant & derelict land and stalled spaces

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The legacy of Scotland's industrial past means that almost a third of the Scottish population lives within 500 metres of a derelict site. In deprived communities, the figure increases to 58%. There is potential for some of these areas and other un-used (or under-used) spaces to become community greenspaces.

Vacant and derelict land

Local Authorities are required to audit all urban vacant and derelict sites of more than 0.1 hectare. The Vacant and Derelict Land Register includes contact details for relevant Council officers.

The Scottish Land Commission was established to research, encourage debate, support change on the ground and advise the Scottish Government - with the aim of reducing the amount by bringing vacant and derelict land into productive use. They produce a range of useful guides and information, including:
*Funding sources for bringing vacant and derelict land back into use. 
*Case Studies featuring inspiring examples of derelict land transformation

In partnership with the Scottish Land Commission, the Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS) hosts the Vacant & Derelict Land Project Manager. This is new 2 year post, starting in July 2020, to focus on the smaller derelict sites, which often cause the most harm to local communities, but can equally be well suited to community-led regeneration. Working alongside development trusts or other community organisations, the post-holder will help communities to develop practical and innovative approaches to bringing different types of these small and persistently problematic sites back into productive use, aiming to support and scale-up community-led regeneration across Scotland. Contact the V&DL Project Manager Karlene Docherty

Stalled spaces

Stalled spaces are land owned by developers or local authorities where development has not yet started or has
been delayed. There may be opportunities to use these sites for temporary or 'meanwhile' greenspace projects. The Stalled Spaces Scotland Toolkit provides lots of help advice and examples.

Stalled Spaces Glasgow is programme supported by Glasgow City Council which supports community groups and local organisations across the city to develop temporary projects on stalled sites or under utilised open spaces. Even if you are not from Glasgow, there is lots of useful information

Food growing on stalled sites and vacant land

If you are thinking about growing fruit or vegetables on vacant & derelict sites or on land which may be contaminated, check out these guides from the Grow Your Own Working Group:
*Guide for Growing on land which may be Contaminated
*Growing and eating fruits and vegetables on vacant & derelict sites

  
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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 16th September, 2020

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18 - My question isn't listed here – how do I contact you?

Contact us

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Please email us your questions - [email protected]

We also welcome new information, omissions and feedback.  

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Published: 16th January, 2020

Updated: 4th October, 2020

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