Former England footballer Jill Scott has taken over as president of Fields in Trust, the UK charity dedicated to safeguarding parks, playgrounds, and green spaces from urban development. Scott, who grew up playing football in local parks, highlighted the crucial role these spaces play in communities, emphasising that access to green areas should be regarded as a fundamental right rather than a luxury.

Fields in Trust, established in 1925, has a century-long track record of protecting thousands of green spaces across the UK. These efforts have preserved nearly 4,000 sports pitches, 1,500 playgrounds, and 1,200 parks, currently ensuring that nine million people live within a 10-minute walk of a green space. The charity’s new Centenary Pledge aims to push this further, with a target to increase that number by at least one million by 2030.

The charity’s commitment comes amid concerning statistics revealing that between 2013 and 2023, Britain lost around 800 green spaces. Additionally, one in three children reportedly lack access to a playground near their home, underscoring the necessity of sustained protection efforts.

As part of its centennial celebrations, Fields in Trust held a significant event at London’s Barbican, gathering leading figures from sporting and environmental organisations. The event launched the Centenary Pledge, a bold initiative designed to safeguard and increase access to green spaces for healthier, more connected communities.

The charity’s work has included landmark partnerships such as the 2021 commitment from Liverpool City Council, which pledged to protect all of its 100 parks and green spaces, spanning over 1,000 hectares, in perpetuity. This bold move marked the first of its kind in the UK, aiming to ensure every Liverpool resident benefits from nearby, high-quality green environments.

Further bolstering these efforts, Fields in Trust encourages public officials to sign its Parks Protector Pledge. This pledge commits elected representatives to champion and legally safeguard parks, recognising their broad contributions to physical health, mental well-being, climate resilience, and community cohesion.

Fields in Trust also runs community campaigns focused on engagement and awareness, such as the 'Bark For Our Parks' initiative, which has successfully rallied public support and raised funds for green space preservation projects.

Jill Scott’s presidency signals a renewed focus on both advocacy and community involvement at Fields in Trust, building on a century of achievements and pushing for systemic change in how the UK values and preserves its open spaces. Ensuring more people can access these vital areas aligns with broader movements to enhance public health, environmental sustainability, and social equity in urban planning.

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Source: Noah Wire Services