About Us
The Parks Foundation concept originated in the USA. We were the second to establish in the UK 2019. We connect people through parks in Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas.
We support people with limited access to green space, including older people; young people; people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds (BAME); disabled people and those living in areas of deprivation.
We use existing, underused green spaces as the catalyst for social change (rather than maintaining them which remains local authorities’ responsibility).
We are completely independent of – but work in partnership with - other charities, landowners and local authorities to reach communities and ensure their needs are met.
The World Health Organisation states that urban green spaces help improve mental health, reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, reduce obesity, risk of type 2 diabetes and improve pregnancy outcomes. Defra estimates that the NHS could save £2.1 billion per year if everyone had regular access to parks.
There are huge and widely documented benefits to being outdoors. However, disadvantage has a severe effect on people’s ability to access outdoor space:
• One in eight households in England do not have a garden
• People from BAME backgrounds are nearly four times as likely to have no access to outdoor space.
• One in six Bristolians live in the 10% most deprived areas of the UK and just 44% of these people feel they belong to their community.
• Bath is known as an affluent city, yet five of its wards fall within the top 10-20% most deprived areas too.
Couple disadvantage with anti-social behaviour, race- or hate-motivated crimes and feeling unsafe in open spaces, it is no surprise that less than 1% of people living in social housing visit parks (Commission for Architecture and the Build Environment, 2010).
In addition, Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas have declared both Climate and Ecological Emergencies. Parks have the potential to become the 'green lungs' of our cities, locking in carbon, cooling and supporting more biodiversity.
Press releases
Charity’s campaign to reimagine parks for the 200,000 people in Bristol...
Bristol and Bath-based charity, Your Park Bristol & Bath, is marking its fifth anniversary with the launch of an ambitious 12-month campaign to... read more
12.06.2024 • By Your Park Bristol & Bath
Local charity seeks 20 businesses to help unlock vital access to Bristol...
Grassroots nature-based charity, Your Park Bristol & Bath, is appealing for 20 local businesses to get their walking boots on and help raise vital... read more
12.06.2024 • By Your Park Bristol & Bath
Your Park Celebrates Incredible Volunteers at Awards Ceremony
Your Park Bristol & Bath has celebrated its second awards ceremony to honour the incredible park volunteers from across Bristol and Bath. Your... read more
07.02.2024 • By Your Park Bristol & Bath
Twerton families help plant hundreds of trees at Your Park Family Day in...
Local families from Twerton and Oldfield Park were joined by the Mayor of Bath, Councillor June Player and Councillor Jess David to help plant... read more
07.12.2021 • By Your Park Bristol & Bath
Your Park Bristol and Bath team up with Hargreaves Lansdown on College...
Your Park, Bristol and Bath and Hargreaves Lansdown team up to plant thousands of bulbs on College Green as a response to COP26 Your Park... read more
19.11.2021 • By Your Park Bristol & Bath
Ahead of COP26, Your Park Bristol and Bath responds to the local climate...
A local charity, Your Park Bristol & Bath is calling for Bath residents to come together and help them improve their much-loved Brickfields Park... read more
27.10.2021 • By Your Park Bristol & Bath
Your Park Bristol and Bath announces projects to be funded by the...
Your Park Bristol and Bath awards local groups with grants through their groundbreaking Love Your Park Community Fund, helping communities... read more
20.10.2021 • By Your Park Bristol & Bath