Outdoor spaces and the community
Camden’s public parks and green spaces are used, enjoyed and maintained as health assets for the whole community. The more welcoming our parks are, with the right facilities and well maintained, more people will visit and stay for longer - enjoying nature and taking part in activities which make them healthy and happy. Key to Camden’s vision is that they are places where people can come together or spend time alone, be active or pause and reflect. We want our green spaces to be at the heart of community life.
How you can get involved
If you have an idea to improve the health of the community and want to host free activities in one of our green spaces, we welcome applications from individuals or community organisations who want to make a difference. Please see the green spaces leaflet for more information. We do need you to apply online via our events team Online application form but don’t let that put you off; the Green Space and Events team are always available to discuss your idea. Do email us parks@camden.gov.uk and we can help
Your community and Camden's green spaces
Do you have an idea to improve the health and wellbeing of your clients but not sure where to begin?
We are committed to helping you host community health-related activities in our parks.
What we can do to help you:
- Give you a single point of contact for liaison with Camden Council Green Spaces
- Recommend appropriate green spaces for event
- Provide the space
- Navigate simple events application
- Provide support with risk assessment
- Advise about public liability insurance (and cover activities in some circumstances)
- Help promote events through network of comms channels within community
- Support event on the day
- Liaise with park stakeholders to help support application
- Help fund equipment for sustainable activities
- Give training on social media comms
- Provide training on running volunteering sessions and toolbox talks
Examples of activities we continue to support:
- Wellbeing Walks with Friends of Bloomsbury Squares
- Pop up outdoor gym sessions with Age UK
- Conservation work with The Green Gym
- Food growing projects
- Mobile Maker Space in Cumberland Market
- Park Volunteering Days
What types of activity could you hold in one of our parks?
We are open to any suggestions and are happy to discuss ideas. These could include:
- Mindfulness sessions
- Chair exercises
- Reuse/recycle activities
- Walking group
- Pop-up outdoor gym sessions
- Family Playground meets
- Nature spotting sessions
- Community Litter pick
- Children’s arts & crafts sessions
For more information and to discuss your ideas further, please email Green Spaces team via parks@camden.gov.uk and we’ll be happy to help.
Helpful guides
Take a look at these guides for helping your Community develop
What are our Parks for Health Initiative aims?
We have set ourselves three key goals for Green Spaces in Camden
By 2030
- People from all our communities will spend more time enjoying our parks and green spaces - leading to improved health and wellbeing and reduced health inequalities.
- Investment in our parks and green spaces will increase year on year - resulting in sustained improvements in quality.
- Our parks will be recognised by local residents and across the country as exemplar spaces for health and mental wellbeing - strengthening the pride we all have in Camden as a healthy, sustainable place to live and work.
Who are our key audiences?
Our communities are characterised by inequalities in health and in access to green space. Those living in socially deprived areas generally have less access to green spaces which, in turn, affects their wellbeing and life chances. Some of these inequalities have become more stark nationwide as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The contribution of parks to prevent ill health is key to making residents’ lives better.
- People living in the most deprived circumstances (identified by small area, as per the Index of Multiple Deprivation) have been defined as:
- People from Black, Asian and other ethnic groups
- Women and girls
- People with disabilities, including learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities
Other ways we are developing our ways of working
The Parks for Health “targeted offer” specifically aims to challenge health inequalities so we are developing the way we work to collaborate with organisations at the heart of their communities. For example, we support activities for wellbeing in parks and provide a programme of green social prescribing, developed and delivered in partnership with the NHS and social care.
Find out more about Parks for Health