Fields In Trust

05/10/2026

Last Wednesday, 30 brilliant volunteers from our corporate partner, Octopus Group, came together in East London’s Mile End Park – an iconic green space that has been legally protected forever with Fields in Trust for decades. 🌳

The volunteers did an amazing job of clearing away dead foliage and unwanted weeds, debris and litter, saving local council staff a week’s worth of work. Thank you so much to everyone who took part! Your time really does make a difference in creating a safer, more welcoming park for people of all ages to enjoy. 💚

30/09/2026

This week our Chief Executive Helen Griffiths attended the Labour Party Conference to share our newly published policy report and speak with Parliamentarians about the importance of protecting the UK’s green spaces for good. 🌳

Helen was part of a panel of leading environmental voices discussing how Andy Burnham’s Makerfield Test could help to support nature and ensure everyone has access to nature on their doorstep, regardless of where they live.

You can read our new policy report here ⬇️

https://fieldsintrust.org/about-us/news/planning-for-growth-protecting-green-space-our-new-report-on-how-britain-can-build-the-homes-it-needs-without-losing-its-green-spaces

29/09/2026

With Britain's population set to grow to almost 70 million by 2040, the need for more homes is undeniable. Yet the 2026 findings from our Green Space Index – our flagship data tool – show that 4,000 new parks are needed by 2033 just to maintain current levels. 🌳

New homes must be delivered together with high-quality accessible parks and green spaces to ensure that communities do not lose out on the range of benefits these spaces bring – from improvements to physical and mental health to better social cohesion.

Read more from our 2026 Green Space Index here 👇
https://fieldsintrust.org/about-us/news/stark-differences-in-public-green-space-access-and-provision-persist-across-great-britain

28/09/2026

As Ministers and MPs gather at this week's Labour Party Conference, we've published our new report, 'Planning For Growth, Protecting Green Space'.

This report offers a blueprint for how the Government can deliver its mission of growth in every postcode while protecting the parks, playgrounds and playing fields that we all rely on. With Britain's population set to grow to almost 70 million by 2040, the need for more homes is undeniable. But we're already losing the green spaces we have:

🛝 793 playgrounds have closed since 2016
🌳 226 green spaces have been lost since the pandemic
📍 4,000 new parks are needed by 2033 just to maintain current provision

Introduced by our President, Jill Scott MBE, and Chief Executive, Helen Griffiths, the report has clear asks of local, regional and national government:

1️⃣ Mandate the Fields in Trust Standards in national and local planning policy
2️⃣ Require councils to consider long-term protection through our unique Deed of Dedication
3️⃣ Direct devolved funding to the areas of greatest need

From Liverpool to Corby, our report shows that housing delivery and green space can be mutually reinforcing priorities.

Read the full report 👇
https://lnkd.in/eTE39UA8

28/09/2026

⁉️ Did you know the average amount of publicly accessible green space per person in Great Britain is roughly the same as just two and a half car parking spaces? And it’s even less in some areas.

Our latest Green Space Index findings show that access to public parks and green spaces remains a postcode lottery across Britain.

Access to green space is a right, not a privilege – we should all be able to enjoy the benefits of freely available recreational space regardless of where we live. 🌳

See the full findings 👇
https://fieldsintrust.org/about-us/news/stark-differences-in-public-green-space-access-and-provision-persist-across-great-britain

25/09/2026

Data from our newly published 2026 Green Space Index highlights stark differences in levels of permanent green space protection across Great Britain. Just 6% of residents in Horsham, West Sussex have a legally protected green space within a short walk of home.

One protected recreational space in the area is Horsham Park, which has just become protected forever thanks to a successful community campaign. 🌳🎉

“We fought to protect the park because we know its true value and that it is irreplaceable. We wanted to ensure future residents inherit a Horsham that is greener, healthier, and stronger because the park at its heart has been protected," says Sally Sanderson, Chair of the Friends of Horsham Park.

Read more 👇
https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/environment/most-green-space-across-horsham-at-risk-of-disappearing-new-data-reveals-9171913

New data published by Fields in Trust, the UK charity that has protected Britain’s parks, playgrounds, playing fields and green spaces for over a century, reveals that most green space across Horsham is at risk of disappearing.

25/09/2026

Play is essential to children’s physical health, mental wellbeing, and development. But not all children have access to a playground close to home. 💔

According to the findings from our 2026 Green Space Index, a staggering 1 in 3 children in Great Britain do not have a playground within a 10-minute walk of home.

Access to somewhere to play is a right, not a privilege. All children should have free access to a playground regardless of where they live. 🤸‍♂️

That’s why we legally protect the UK’s parks, playgrounds, playing fields and green spaces. Forever.

Read more 👇
https://fieldsintrust.org/about-us/news/stark-differences-in-public-green-space-access-and-provision-persist-across-great-britain

24/09/2026

Access to green space is a right, not a privilege. Everyone should have easy access to high-quality, protected green spaces regardless of their background, income or postcode.

Our 2026 Green Space Index, released today, highlights how access to public parks and green spaces varies across Great Britain, with some areas having many more permanently protected green spaces than others.

Wrexham leads on protected green space, while Gwynedd faces access barriers as Fields in Trust calls for permanent protection across Wales.

24/09/2026

🚨 Your local park could be at risk!

Did you know that just 6% of publicly accessible parks and green spaces in Great Britain are legally protected? The vast majority of our public parks, playgrounds, playing fields and green spaces currently have no permanent protection, meaning they could disappear forever.

This is just one of the findings from our 2026 Green Space Index (GSI) – our flagship data tool that maps green space access and provision across Great Britain – which we published today.

At Fields in Trust, we work to legally protect parks, playgrounds, playing fields and green spaces forever, ensuring communities will continue to feel their benefits for generations to come. 💚

Find out more 👇
https://fieldsintrust.org/about-us/news/stark-differences-in-public-green-space-access-and-provision-persist-across-great-britain

23/09/2026

It’s fantastic to see councillors in Basildon, Essex pushing to legally protect multiple community parks and green spaces with Fields in Trust! 🌳

“These are places that matter to residents. We believe they should be protected properly, not simply left dependent on the decisions of future administrations,” said Councillor George Jeffery.

“That is why we are taking forward proposals to place these sites into Fields in Trust, giving them an additional layer of protection and helping ensure they remain green, open and available for public use for generations to come.”

Read more 👇
https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/26571171.basildon-five-parks-development-protected-forever/

Five parks could soon be protected from development forever under new proposals.