Speaking at the session when asked why people feel so strongly about their parks, the Chief Executive of the Sport and Recreation Alliance said that local parks are "environments that are welcoming, easily accessible and easy to reach, a place to get active with friends and family on your doorstep, that enable people feel a part of their community."
The inquiry into the value of public parks, to which the Sport and Recreation Alliance has contributed a response, was created to examine the impact of reduced local authority budgets on open spaces and consider concerns that their existence is under threat.
The evidence sessions also asked questions about the effect budget cuts would have on local parks and communities, how to balance conflicting needs of park users, how funding models for parks might be created and the role voluntary groups play in maintaining parks and how to support them.
Other contributions at the session came from representatives of ukactive, The Parks Alliance, Heritage Lottery Fund and National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces.
While 2.6bn visits were made to Britain’s 27,000 public green spaces last year, council budget cuts have had an impact on their maintenance, with funding falling from £3.1m to £2.6m over the last two years.
The Committee received nearly 400 formal written evidence submissions and more than 13,000 surveys completed online or face to face in parks since launching its inquiry in July 2016.
You can watch the evidence session here.
New research shows playing fields and pitches deliver at least £2bn in improved wellbeing every year and help keep almost 4 million people active, including 1 million children.
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Below we provide an update on a number of our current policy-related workstreams, from the announcement of the NHS 10 Year Plan, to a number of additional issues - including planning reforms, the EHRC consultation on gender, Select and APPG inquiries into Healthy Ageing, and Access to Nature.
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The Sport and Recreation Alliance welcomes Government’s commitment to investing in community sport, recreation and physical activity, and its recognition of the social and economic value it provides.
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