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Sun 12 Apr 2020 11:00PM

Forest Gardening in Public Spaces during the Pandemic

JLM Jane Lesley Morris Public Seen by 88

An open letter from the National Forest Gardening Scheme on Access to our Forest Gardens in Public Spaces during COVID-19 threat 12th April 2020 to allied organisations, government & press, roughly as tweeted by Paul and shared with other co-directors & allies.

JLM

Jane Lesley Morris Tue 21 Apr 2020 10:42PM

the Government's Communities Secretary stated: "there have been examples of some parks around the country closing. This cannot be right. While the virus does not discriminate, we know that the lockdown is much harder for people who don’t have a lot of living space, who don’t have a garden, and who don’t have anywhere for their children to run around. People need parks... all parks must remain open. And, for the health of the nation, people must abide by social distancing rules and not congregate in groups in parks" The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has asked NFPGS to undertake an urgent analysis of how this fits with the picture of parks and green spaces in local areas across the country. They have organised a short survey for Friends of Parks groups to respond collectively, highlighting any challenges or barriers to green spaces remaining open to the public. Please complete this today here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MHCLG-Urgent-Parks &/or forward this immediately to all Friends groups in your area. The survey will close at midnight on Wednesday (22/04).
National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces

DU

Deleted account Wed 22 Apr 2020 6:12AM

Thanks for leading on this Jane. I’ll certainly pass it to my local parks groups. 👏

HGP

Hannah Gardiner (Current profile) Fri 24 Apr 2020 7:50AM

Have we made it clear who people should contact if they want to be a signatory? It would be good to collect names of organisations which support so we can then publish and try to promote it?

LB

Lyla Byrne Sat 25 Apr 2020 7:54AM

Dear Hannah, We were just getting officially set up as the pandemic got going. More detail about us is in your register of U.K. forest gardens and we are on that map. We have been planting a forest garden coming on two years, and are in the process of communicating with local councilors about collaboration to provide more public spaces in or near to St.Just (West Cornwall) for further community gardening - especially to get trees planted initially. There is a lot of local support for this. We certainly support gardening in public spaces during the pandemic - for all the reasons that you have already set out; and it should not be difficult to develop a set of protocols - which it would be useful to present so that it can be printed off and read out and displayed at sites. All good wishes, Lyla Byrne, Worlds End Forest Garden. Red Heart Tree CIC. [email protected]