Agenda item

Report of Director of Sport and Culture

Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture Eddy Curry, Head of Parks and Open Spaces, and Alex Brown, Community Sport and Physical Activity Officer were in attendance to present the report and deliver a presentation and a brief film.

ParkLives is a project funded by Coca-Cola which aims to get 1 million people active by 2020. The aim of the project fits well with the City Council’s strategies for parks and open spaces, sport and activity, and health and well-being.

The following points were highlighted:

(a)  the purpose of the report is to:

(i)  help co-ordinators find out how they can best engage and encourage community involvement in ParkLives activities either by taking part in scheduled activities or creating their own independently or with the support of the City Council;

(ii)  to gather information on formal and informal groups of citizens already using the park for some sort of exercise. That the information can potentially contribute to funding bids for further park improvements or to help facilitate activities;

(b)  currently there are 40 active ParkLives Friends Groups across the City which take part in some sort of activity or enjoyment of the City’s parks and open spaces, doing anything from walking, dog walking, running, or in some way helping maintain the space;

(c)  in recent years £20 million has been invested in the City’s parks and open spaces, as can be seen at Bulwell Bogs. However the investment only proves worthwhile when citizens use these spaces;

(d)  the ParkLives Team needs to be able to register existing user groups and encourage new activities and user groups, with guidance and support and even activity leaders available to help activities establish and guide citizens to managing the activities independently by offering training to local champions within the community who can then encourage further activity;

(e)  a brief film of about Sue from Bulwell was shown. From not doing any exercise whatsoever, she joined a City Council hosted activity group and after 8 weekly sessions she was able to run 5 kilometres. The message of the film is that ‘no matter what age or size you can be involved and can achieve what you didn’t believe you could.’ Sue urged families and friends to get together and spend time enjoying the parks and open spaces;

(f)  all ParkLives events are free, fun and open to everyone. The list of the City Council scheduled activities throughout the forthcoming year is attached to the report.

Councillors commented on this was an ideal program to involve as many people as possible to improve fitness and help challenge social isolation.

Community representatives welcomed the initiative but were concerned that irresponsible and disruptive quad and motor bike riding on Southglade Park was deterring current users of the Park as the bikers presence and reckless riding is threatening and even dangerous. On one occasion bike riders rode through a weekend football match. Eddie Curry responded that with more people using the parks, this would act as a deterrent for this sort of behaviour and urged citizens to report instances like these to the Police as they are more likely to respond where hotspots of activity are reported.

Disappointment was expressed by community representatives who last year had planted a total of 22 trees in their local park, 12 of which have since been mindlessly vandalised.

Questions were responded to as follows:

(g)  encouraging more people to use the parks and open spaces will deter antisocial behaviour;

(h)  ParkLives had successfully engaged/registered approximately 15,000 people throughout the City last year and is hoping to build on that success;

(i)  the value of community champions was demonstrated by an officer who lived locally and was known to the community, working to successfully engage young people in activities at South Lake Park. Once community buy-in can be demonstrated it is easier to attract funding to provide further facilities;

(j)  although City residents may regularly use local parks which are outside the boundaries of Nottingham City Council’s responsibility, ParkLives activities cannot be provided on land which is not owned by the City Council, although it is hoped that the scheme could be expanded in the future to include groups operating on the fringe of the City boundaries.

For further information or to inform the ParkLives Team of existing ‘friends groups’ please contact Alex Brown on 0115 8761422, or 07958296151 or email parklives@nottinghamcity.gov.uk. The website is http://www.parklives.com/about

RESOLVED

(1)  to note the draft ParkLives programme for 2016;

(2)  to help identify and provide nominations the Local ParkLives Ambassadors;

(3)  to help identify and provide nominations the Local ParkLives Activators.