Britain's vital green spaces are in grave danger unless we act now
This week, as the Chancellor announces the Government's latest spending review, we are bracing for cuts across the board. In tough times, difficult choices must be made.
At such a moment it is important to remember that the numbers in the spreadsheets are not simply economic abstractions, and that some cuts can cost more than they save.
World Environment Day is an excellent moment to remember that green spaces are a case in point. They are one of the most powerful and under-appreciated tools for improving public health and fostering social cohesion while sustaining wildlife. The truth is that local parks are delivering huge value and can contribute so much more.
Green spaces, parks and playing fields are frontline services for the wellbeing of our communities. They are where we exercise, connect with others, improve our mental health and, crucially, where connect with Nature. At a time of rising isolation and disconnection with the natural world, these places matter more than ever.
But they are vanishing. In the last ten years, more than 800 parks and playgrounds have closed across the UK. In many communities, especially those already suffering the effects of inequality, access to safe, high-quality outdoor spaces has become a postcode lottery. Seventy per cent of children in low-income areas don't meet the recommended daily exercise levels. One in five young people now face an actual or probable mental health disorder.
We're seeing the consequences in our health service. Lack of physical activity and limited access to nature are directly linked to long-term conditions, ranging from obesity and Type 2 diabetes to anxiety and depression. We are spending a fortune in fixing problems which could in part be prevented at much lower cost.
Regular use of parks and green spaces generates over £34 billion in health and wellbeing benefits each year. At a time when the Health Service is under extraordinary pressure, investing in green spaces is not a 'nice to have.' It is a preventive public health policy.
But the benefits of green space are not just physical or economic; they are emotional and deeply formative. As someone who has spent my life seeking ways to sustain Nature, I know how critical early experiences are in shaping our relationship with the natural world.
My own love of Nature wasn't sparked in some distant wilderness, but in the green areas close to home: wonderful patches of wild 'brownfield' scrub, local fields, and neighbourhood parks. These everyday encounters with Nature weren't spectacular, but they were profound.
You can't foster a love of the natural world through screens or textbooks alone. It must be felt, seen, heard. That spark happens outdoors. Every child deserves that spark.
Yet today, far too many children grow up without ever hearing birdsong or walking beneath a canopy of trees. Girls, ethnic minorities, and families in deprived communities face the greatest barriers to experiencing the simple, profound benefits of nature. That is not just a social failing. It is a moral one.
Green spaces are where future conservationists are born. When children climb trees, build dens, or simply lie on the grass and look up at the sky, they're doing more than playing. They're forming bonds with Nature that can last a lifetime. That sense of care and wonder is what leads people to protect and preserve the wild as they grow up. Our future depends on it.
This year marks the centenary of Fields in Trust, a charity that has spent 100 years quietly protecting more than 3,000 green spaces across the UK. It is a remarkable achievement, but there is still so much more to do.
Fields in Trust believes that everyone should live close to a protected park. As we face the overlapping challenges of poor public health, rapid urbanisation, and the climate and Nature emergencies, that vision has never been more important. Yet green spaces continue to be at risk, and once lost they are rarely replaced.
Parks are places of healing. Places where children run, families connect, and communities thrive. They are one of the few remaining spaces where people of all ages and backgrounds naturally mix. We must reframe access to quality green spaces, including wilder ones, as a right, not a privilege.
We stand at a crossroads. If we want to create a future where our world's living systems are restored and thriving, we must begin by protecting Nature on our doorsteps.
The next generation of conservationists and environmental stewards won't appear by magic. They will emerge from the children and families who had the chance to explore, love and connect with nature today.
Tony Juniper CBE, Environmentalist and Ambassador for Fields In Trust
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