Fields in Trust
|19:10 PM, Tuesday, 3 April 2012
As Ambridge bids to have a plot of land dedicated for village use, Helen Griffiths of Fields in Trust (the current operating name of the National Playing Fields Association) fills in the national picture.
Activities to mark the diamond jubilee in Ambridge are on the agenda as the parish council begins talks about the possibility of protecting a recreational space in perpetuity as a Queen Elizabeth II Field in the village.
Led by its patron, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge aims to permanently protect 2,012 outdoor recreational spaces across the UK as a legacy from the diamond jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Over 1100 playgrounds, sports pitches, bicycle trails, flower meadows, country parks and gardens have been nominated so far. Spaces are protected legally by Fields in Trust and all the Queen Elizabeth II Fields will receive a special commemorative plaque to be installed on the site showing their special status.
The spaces are also eligible for a range of grants to help fund improvements such as installation of play equipment, wild flower planting, seating, adult gyms, pavilion restoration and pitch improvements.
Fields in Trust is also offering all Queen Elizabeth II Fields the chance to host Have a Field Day over the summer by providing a free toolkit of ideas and helpful hints and a goodie box including flags, bunting, rosettes, balls and football.
Real life Fields in Trust
Up and down the country local authorities, town and parish councils and other land owners are submitting outdoor recreational spaces to be protected. Many communities are also coming together and asking for their favourite local spaces to be protected.
The sea views of the Hunstanton Esplanade Gardens in Norfolk are being protected along with the fantastic 30 acre Ruskin Drive Sports Ground founded back in 1902 in St Helens.
In Scotland, the City of Edinburgh Council has nominated 20 sites ranging from parks to playing fields to nature reserves whilst Llanwrtyd Wells in Powys - the smallest town in Britain - has nominated Dolwen Field (pictured) where the World Alternative Games will be held in 2012.
Newcastle upon Tyne Council are leading the charge in the North East with 11 sites totalling more than 125 acres. In Belfast, Orangefield Park provides the local community with all kinds of activities such as tennis, football, a bowling green and a children's playground.
Communities, towns and villages are now getting involved in organising their celebratory Have a Field Day events on local Queen Elizabeth II Fields. Egg and spoon races, jubilee cup-cake competitions, bouncy castles, jazz bands, face painting, morris dancing and children's competitions are just some of the kaleidoscope of activities being planned.
By joining in the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge, the villagers of Ambridge can gather together to mark this momentous occasion and ensure the legacy of the diamond jubilee continues to benefit the residents of the village forever.
Helen Griffiths is Director of Communications of Fields in Trust and the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge
- Picture is of Dolwen Field, Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys and is used by permission of Fields in Trust
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