LI President-Elect Jane Findlay announces the creation of a new forum to support and champion the parks and green space sector.

‘For some time, many parks and green space practitioners have lacked a professional home,’ said LI President-Elect Jane Findlay. ‘The LI is committed to supporting all landscape professionals. A crucial step in fulfilling this aim is promoting the role parks and green spaces play in our communities, strengthening the voice of practitioners working in these important places.

‘The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has highlighted how important parks and green spaces are to the nation’s well-being. As governments and the public begin to truly appreciate their value, we need to collaborate to lead and champion the sector. Now is the time for all involved in landscape, parks and place to come together.’

The new Forum will provide insight and guidance to the LI as it works to provide leadership and build capacity for the sector.

The Parks and Green Space Forum will help the LI…

• work closely with national and local government and other stakeholders to highlight the importance of parks and green spaces
• support the sharing of knowledge and research across the sector
• develop a new membership qualification and learning offer to practitioners in green space management
• promote new landscape apprenticeships to the parks and green space sector
• explore options for a new parks and green space hub

This new Forum will work alongside the LI’s Landscape Management Leadership Forum, which will resume activity this year – focusing on practitioners working in landscapes at scale, protected landscapes, and landscape-related government agencies.

Next steps and future collaboration

During World Parks week (25 April – 3 May 2020), the LI will contact parks leaders with whom it regularly engages. It will also call for expressions of interest from individuals and organisations who wish to participate in the new Forum, which the LI will establish later this year.

‘The LI has been in discussions to foster closer working relationships with a range of parks sector organisations, including The Parks Alliance, Association for Public Sector Excellence, Midlands Parks Forum, Parks for London, and Green Flag Awards,’ said LI Chief Executive Dan Cook. ‘We are open to forming new and strengthened partnerships.

‘We look forward to further and wider collaboration to provide a stronger voice for parks and green spaces.’

Interested in working with the LI on any of these initiatives? Get in touch via contact@landscapeinstitute.org.