Preserving local parks crucial to Big Society - new research

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13/02/2011

 People from all walks of life love their local playground, park or green space.

A new publication by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), supported by Groundwork UK, states that preserving public space is crucial for stimulating social action and realising the coalition government’s vision for the Big Society. 

As prime minister David Cameron calls on Big Society to move from discussion to action, new research suggests that the nurturing of local playgrounds, parks or green spaces offers people the opportunity to progress from non-action to representing society.

Organisations such as Groundwork fulfil a key role in shaping Big Society by acting as brokers and catalysts to social action through enabling the preservation of green spaces by communities.

The research concludes that: 

• Public space acts as a site for the pursuit of social action as well as for discord, debate and discussion, all of which can lead to the development of valuable citizenship skills.
• Important skills to enable social action can be fostered by public space development programmes, including; knowledge about local politics; an understanding of planning and funding sources; partnership working; meeting and interacting with others.
• Organisations such as Groundwork, that are not directly part of the local state, act as valuable, catalysts to social action in deprived communities; raising local capacity, passing on skills, knowledge and understanding; motivating and sustaining interest and activity, supporting them to address the problems they identify in society and helping them take control of local public spaces.
• Working closely with local and central government Groundwork plays a key role in helping decide the long-term future of green spaces 

Launched on the same day as Groundwork’s Urban Oasis Campaign, which is using Valentines Day to urge people to love their local green space or lose it, this research encourages both government and people to work together to ensure vital patches of green space are retained.  

This publication builds on a previous work done by both organisations in 2005, titled From Community Garden to Westminster, which examined how Groundwork could enable active citizenship by hearing from the people involved in improving the environment near where they live. 

An appendix to the new publication pays homage to the earlier work, which outlined different types of people and their motivation for social action: 

The Searcher, for example wants to have a purpose and needs direction.  The Hunter is hungry to see goals achieved.  The Reluctant may only get involved because there is nobody else to do it.  The Altruist is motivated by an unselfish concern for the welfare of others.  The Gardener needs to use their interest as a springboard to learn about deeper levels of social action.  The Curious is fundamentally nosey and are concerned they might miss out if they don’t get involved.  The Narcissist will continue along the route to social action for the reward and praise it brings to them and the Escapist is looking for a diversion from their daily