The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Big Lottery Fund has announced £34.5million of investment in 13 parks across the UK.
This new funding follows the publication of the HLF’s recent report which revealed the UK’s public parks are at serious risk of decline unless innovative new ways of funding and maintaining them are found.
Alongside restoration of important historic features including bandstands and gatehouses, and the installation of new community facilities including a skateboard park and children’s play areas, this funding will also deliver a range of activities designed to help these parks to be more sustainable.
Projects receiving funding today include new cafes and skills training for volunteers and friends groups.
The 13 parks and cemeteries receiving Lottery funding today are:
HLF / Big Lottery Fund joint grants in England
Victoria Park, Ilkeston £740,800
Hemel Water Gardens, Hemel Hempstead £2,467,700
Ampthill Park, Bedfordshire £606,800
Cassiobury Park, Watford £4,534,900
Avenue House, Finchley £2,154,700
Gunnersbury Park, Ealing £4,671,000
Moor Park, Preston £1,725,000
Beckenham Place Park, Lewisham £4,908,400
Beddington Park and Grange Sutton £3,203,900
Northwood Cemetery Heritage Project, Isle of Wight £1,064,000
Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens, Dover £3,389,400
Pearson Park, Hull £2,343,600
HLF only funded grants
Levengrove Park, Dumbarton £2,660,800
Carole Souter, chief executive of HLF, said on behalf of HLF and the Big Lottery Fund: "Our report revealed how valued public parks are by people and communities and how essential they are to our physical and emotional well-being.
"That’s why HLF and the BIG Lottery Fund have invested over £700m in parks since 1996. But the report makes clear that our parks face an uncertain future and so it’s exciting to see how this new investment is going some way towards helping find new ways of funding and maintaining them so they are still here to be enjoyed long into the future."
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