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• Park managers to train as urban ambassadors: new course will make the case for space

• Date:

  24th January 2005

• Contact:

  Sarah Egerton

• Organisation:

  The Civic Trust

The search has begun for 60 park managers who will be trained to use new skills as the nation's urban green space ambassadors.

The traditional image of park keepers as grumpy old men chasing children off the grass is being replaced by skilled park managers who are green space ambassadors. They will be capable not only of planting shrubs in flower beds, but planting ideas into the heads of local councillors and MPs to get them to support better funding and better amenities in the parks and green spaces they are responsible for.

The quality of green spaces affects all of us wherever we live. Research shows they have a fundamental role in tackling obesity, improving our living environment as well as supporting wildlife. Despite this, local authorities in England are not legally required to provide or maintain parks and green spaces.

The Government’s Urban Green Spaces Taskforce concluded that skills shortages in this sector were a key factor behind the long-term decline in the quality of our parks and green spaces [1]. CABE Space research shows that parks departments are still struggling in the face of a serious skills shortage affecting staff from senior management to operational levels. [2]

Julia Thrift, Director CABE Space said, ‘Our research shows that the cities most successful at delivering high quality green spaces, have staff who can communicate well, and know how to work with their local media, funding bodies and colleagues to bring in more resources and political support to make the best of their parks. This course will help park managers to have the skills needed in today’s complex funding environment.’

In the first instance CABE Space, the unit within CABE that is working with local authorities to provide better quality green spaces, is looking for 60 park keepers to put through a heavily subsidised skills training course. It will concentrate on making managers into confident and effective advocates of the importance of parks to the community.

The first of three training days will take place before the end of March in Peterborough ‘s Thorpe Hall, which has a grade two-listed garden. Anyone interested in attending should contact Hilary Jeffs on 020 7612 1843.