Vicki Sellick, Director, Innovation Lab at Nesta comments on Stoke Parish Council's decision to charge ParkRunners: 

“This week Stoke Gifford Parish Council voted to charge the ParkRun participants who pound their paths every Saturday morning. The move is not unsurprising - in recent years, UK park budgets have been slashed by 60 per cent and some 45 per cent of parks managers’ report that privatisation is on the cards*. The Council's decision is, however, short-sighted - not only does it have a responsibility to promote health and well-being amongst local people, but it has also made a serious, simple commercial mistake - it has alienated one of its core users: exercisers.

"At Nesta, through the Rethinking Parks programme**, we’ve spent the last two years working with 10 local authorities across the country to rethink how Britain’s parks are funded. While a small number have created great new facilities and are charging for access – like pop up workspaces in Hoxton Square, for example – the majority are trying to balance the books by drawing their core users closer, not pushing them away. Burnley Council, for one, has started getting volunteers involved in planting beautiful meadows rather than more grass – a move forecast to save the council £100,000 per year by 2018. And Darlington Council has been working with the group Groundwork to help staff from local businesses get out of the office once a month to improve pathways or paint fences.

"From parks to hospitals, adult social care services to job centres, it is only by utilising the energy and talents of local people alongside paid professionals that a sustainable future is guaranteed for public services. People-power delivers better results, makes people happier and often it also saves money. In fact, people power in England is already contributing £34billion to the economy***, a contribution Stoke Parish Council would be foolish to not make the most of. Let’s hope the decision is reviewed – instead of defaulting to charging their most active local groups on a pay-as-you-run basis, they should be working collaboratively with them and the ParkRun organisers to find a compromise and get them using the park more, not less.”

For further information, please conact Kasia Murphy, Press Officer at Nesta: [email protected] // t: +44 2074382610 m: +447929800765 

* Local Government Association (2012) ‘Funding outlook for councils from 2010/11 to 2019/20: Preliminary modelling.’ London: Local Government Association and Heritage Lottery Fund (2014) 'State of UK Parks: Renaissance to Risk?' London: Heritage Lottery Fund

** Rethinking Parks was a joint Big Lottery Fund (England), Heritage Lottery Fund and Nesta programme to test new ways to raise income or reduce costs for public parks in the face of significant cuts.

*** Clarence, E and Gabriel, M (2014) 'People Helping People: The Future of Public Services' London: Nesta