The problem
Parks are sadly not used by everyone.
The benefits of regular access to green spaces are well documented, but not everyone has equal access to these benefits.
Groundwork's Out of Bounds report, 2021 found that people from low income households or areas, minority ethnic groups and Disabled people are among the groups least likely to use parks and therefore missing out.
These findings play out locally, with only 38% of Disabled people in Bristol using parks at least once a week, 46% of Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and 40% of people living in the 10% most deprived areas (Bristol QoL Survey, 2023).
We also know that women and girls often do not feel safe in parks and are less likely to use them than men (What makes a park feel safe or unsafe? University of Leeds, 2022).
Our vision
We want to see inclusive and welcoming parks without barriers, with a range of free activities that appeal to everyone, all communicated through accurate and up to date and accessible information.
Park visits will become easy, predictable, engaging and enjoyable for everyone.
We will focus on neighbourhoods where there is a lack of good quality green space, high levels of deprivation and higher relative proportions of communities not using parks.
How
We are pulling together an impressive partnership of organisations and groups across Bristol and Bath to:
- Research and understand why certain communities in Bristol and Bath currently don't use parks
- Co-develop solutions in partnership with communities
- Build partnerships and take action to create change
Over the last two years we have worked with teenage girls and Disabled people and unpaid carers and we are now completing new research with different ethnic groups.
