*London Green Spaces Friends Groups Network
*Media Release: 13.10.2009

*London's local Friends Groups vow to work together to value, protect and
improve the capital's parks and open spaces

**- successful first ever conference
- launch of new London-wide Friends network

*Over 80 representatives of local Friends Groups from seventeen London boroughs*
gathered together for the first time for a major conference on Saturday October
10th. The event celebrated the achievements of the 500 or so such groups across
London, with those present sharing their experiences and their ideas, and
discussing ways to support each other in each borough and across the capital.   
* Friends Groups from the following London boroughs attended: Camden, City of
London, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Havering,
Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Richmond, Southwark, Tower Hamlets,
Waltham Forest, Wandsworth

It was organised by and for London's Friends groups, supported by the London
Parks & Green Spaces Forum. The venue was the Broadwater Community Centre by
Lordship Recreation Ground in Tottenham (Haringey).

The conference, in launching the new London Green Spaces Friends Groups Network,
unanimously passed the following mission statement:
*' The Friends and user groups at this gathering agree to continue to celebrate
our efforts, share our ideas and experiences, and to support each other in
valuing and improving London's parks and open green spaces. To that end we agree
to launch a London Green Spaces Friends Network. We'd like to see the
development of Friends Groups for all London's open green spaces, and
borough-wide forums and networks of such groups in all London boroughs. '

*After the gathering, the Conference Chair - Dave Morris [Friends of Lordship
Rec, Haringey] - said:/ 
" It was inspiring to hear about the incredible work being done by local
residents and park users all over London to protect and improve their green
spaces. We agreed to continue to work together and support each other, to swap
information and best practice, and to speak out for all London's green spaces
now and into the future. We call on Londoners to form Friends groups for all
green spaces, and to establish Friends Forums in every borough. "

/The gathering began with a keynote presentation by a representative of the
Birmingham Open Spaces Forum. This was followed by workshops/discussions
introduced and facilitated by members of local Friends groups with particular
expertise, skills or success stories to tell. The themes included: Establishing
strong Friends groups; Developing good relationships with Councils / Parks
Officers; Organising Citizen Science projects; Lobbying for greater funding and
resources for green spaces generally; Protecting parks and green spaces from
urban development; Ensuring greater Friends involvement in monitoring,
maintenance and management; Organising successful events; Fundraising
successfully for events, projects and improvement works; Restoring and
regenerating neglected green spaces; Developing strong borough-wide
Friends/Users Forums throughout London.

There was also a 'Just A Minute' session in which 9 Friends Groups had 60
seconds each to tell their inspiring success stories to the whole gathering.

Delicious food cooked on site was provided by Haringey Back To Earth, local
residents based at the Broadwater Centre. The Friends of Lordship Rec also
organised a lunchtime guided tour around the Rec. Staff from the London Parks &
Green Spaces Forum provided much of the administrative back up for the
Gathering, which was funded by a grant they had obtained from KPMG.

The new London Green Spaces Friends Groups Network will hold a follow-up meeting
for Friends Groups on 2nd November at City Hall, SE1. Borough/town/regional
Forums of Friends Groups throughout the UK are networked through the National
Open Spaces Forum. The next NOSF meeting, at which delegates from London will be
attending, is on 31st October in Birmingham.

Further info:

*London Green Spaces Friends Groups Network
*/c/o 0208 211 0916   dmorris@onetel.com  

/*Supported by the London Parks & Green Spaces Forum
*/0207 983 4468 / 07525 475633  anna.woollen@lpgsf.org.uk