Promoting parks

Green spaces are a fantastic asset to any community. Their value needs to be promoted. It is important that people know what their local parks and green space offer so they can use them more fully. Parks and green spaces have always been used as venues for a wide range of events.

A programme of events provides a great way to encourage a wide section of the community to visit and enjoy the space. By including events that might appeal to non-users, infrequent visitors, minority groups or more vulnerable members of the community, the events programme can help to broaden the visitor base by providing a reason to visit.

As well as providing a fun and entertaining day and opportunities for socialising, events can highlight the significance and importance of the park or green space and encourage greater participation and ‘ownership’. In this way events in parks can help strengthen and support communities, and recruit volunteers to assist in the management or enhancement of the park or green space.

The key to attracting people to a park is to know what users want from it. Decisions about what facilities to provide, park opening times, promotional activities and communication can then be made.

In addition, you need to identify what makes your parks special or different from others. The majority of parks have local, historical and ecological benefits that can be used in promotions. An events programme or facilities, particularly those facilities for children, may increase the number of visits.

Promotional and communication can be as simple as providing good quality information about availability and opening times, but they can also involve imaginative approaches such as organising events and healthy walks.