We've mentioned it many times here on TurfPro before, but it cannot be underestimated the value which professionally maintained parks and amenity green spaces bring to communities across the nation.
Turf professionals on the front line know just how important these areas truly are. They also know how they are severely under threat due to the lack of proper funding for the specialist upkeep these spaces require.
Therefore, it's always pleasing when professional bodies and institutions produce research which keeps the sector and its importance under the spotlight. Keeping the pressure on those in charge of the purse strings to not overlook what these spaces provide, is vital for the good of all - both professionals and the public alike.
The latest headline to come from one of these reports is that parks and green spaces across the United Kingdom provide people with over £34 billion of wellbeing benefits. Which is certainly an attention-grabbing claim!
The charity Fields in Trust who have made this claim, say that the £34 billion of wellbeing benefits are a result of people enjoying greater life satisfaction including both improved physical and mental health, directly as a result of using parks and green spaces.
The research Revaluing Parks and Green Spaces, compiled using HM Treasury approved methodology, finds that parks and green spaces save the National Health Service at least £111 million per year. Fields in Trust say this figure is based solely on prevented GP visits and doesn’t include savings from non-referrals for treatment or prescriptions - which they say means that the actual savings to the taxpayer will be significantly higher.
The report also calculates that parks provide a total economic value to each person in the UK of just over £30 per year. The value of parks and green spaces is higher for individuals from lower socio-economic groups and minority backgrounds. This means, say Fields In Turst, that any loss of parks and green spaces will disproportionately impact disadvantaged and underrepresented communities, precisely those who value them the most.
Like many others, the charity are increasingly concerned that parks and green spaces are ever more at risk - with recent research from The Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) showing that 95% of parks professionals are concerned that a lack of investment in them will have health and social impacts. In addition, previous research from Fields in Trust showed that nearly one in five people (16%) say that their local park or green space has been under threat of being lost or built on.
Helen Griffiths, Chief Executive of Fields in Trust, said, “This report clearly demonstrates the economic and wellbeing benefits that parks and green spaces bring to people across the UK. At a time when parks and green spaces are under threat, this is valuable evidence that the loss of green space is hugely damaging to people’s welfare.
“The research also confirms that any decision by a public body to remove a park or green space is completely short-sighted - and will in fact likely cost more money than is saved. In health alone parks and green spaces saved the NHS at least £111 million per year through prevented GP visits - enough to pay for more than 3,500 nurses.
“The evidence is now clear: green spaces are good, they do good and they need to be protected for good. That’s why as part of our new strategy Fields in Trust is committing itself to protecting more green spaces, so that people up and down our country, both now and in the future, can continue to benefit from them.”
Groups like Fields In Trust should be applauded for what they are trying to achieve. Let’s hope with continued pressure, keeping the subject regularly within the public discourse, those in charge start to pay serious attention.
If you want to read more, you can download the full Revaluing Parks and Green Spaces research report here.
