About the Parks Management Association
Our Vision
“Representing professionals working in public parks and green spaces”
There are 398 principal (unitary, upper and second tier) councils in the UK – 24 county councils, 181 district councils, 36 metropolitan councils, and 124 unitary councils. There are around 11,000 local councils in the UK, from town councils to parish councils. These councils, along with a number of trusts, charities and other organisations, manage between them 27,000 public parks across the country and employ a significant number of professionals to manage and maintain them within such service areas including streetcare, waste services, leisure services, community services, neighbourhood services and cultural services. It is now a rarity to find an authority that retains a distinct and identifiable ‘parks service’ as it has most likely to have been absorbed into a wider departmental structure. Yet public perception is very different, and many still perceive that ‘parks departments’ still exist.
“Can I speak to someone in the parks department please?” “Is that the parks department?” ….. you get my drift?
However, over the last 25+ years, there has been a significant reduction in the number of professionals dedicated to the management of parks and green spaces with headlines such as ‘last of a dying breed’ and media coverage not only in the trade press but also in mainstream media (The Guardian and the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, BBC Radio). Like many public services, austerity has hit us hard and ‘softer’ services such as parks have and continue to be hit severely with parks and green spaces management professionals often becoming marginalised and in many authorities, redundancies have occurred with significant posts lost.
Up to this period of austerity, a number of organisations had represented parks and green spaces professionals including:
- ILAM (Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management) which became ISPAL and ultimately CIMSPA, neither of these organisations representing parks professionals; ILAM had a dedicated parks team with officers advocating policy and recommendations for the wider management of parks. How we miss ILAM.
- The Urban Parks Forum, becoming GreenSpace which folded a number of years ago
- CABE Space, which was a government funded quango responsible for championing urban parks and professionals, but was disbanded and became part of the Design Council. They no longer represent parks professionals or support what we do.
Since the disappearance of these reputable organisations, no single organisation has represented the body of individuals who continue to manage our parks and green spaces and the sector has become fragmented. As part of a public inquiry into public parks way back in 2017, one of the key issues raised was the lack of a professional body to represent parks and green spaces management professionals. With the end of the last period of austerity and continued importance given to public parks, it is now an important period to look at representing those still managing parks and green spaces as well as those that have inherited the management of these, with little or no sector support. This has recently become increasingly significant post the Covid-19 pandemic where parks and green spaces had greater coverage and awareness raised of their wider importance to our communities.
The Current Position (2023)
A number of other bodies do exist but they have fragmented links to parks practitioners and the sector, although they have carried the flag for parks to some extent. This has meant however, that decision makers and policy makers have had inconsistent links to the sector that actually delivers, and has done for decades. The Parks Management Association was established to rectify this, and through an independent board of parks practitioners, has strengthened that link not only by strongly representing the sector but most importantly by acting as a sound board for ideas and policy implementation as well as proposing solutions and share best practice that can cross fertilise the work amongst the organisation.
The Parks Management Association aims to work and support all the Regional Parks Forums that exist in the UK as well as such organisations as the Landscape Institute, APSE, Parks Action Group, The Gardens Trust, The National Trust, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Chief Leisure Officers Association, Chartered Institute of Horticulture, Fields in Trust, Keep Britain Tidy and the Green Flag Award, CPRE and will forge stronger links with Scotland, Wales and any other national and international organisations that have in common, the passion and values that underpins our work in valuing our parks and open spaces.
Numbers who have joined have grown and we have forged links with many organisations across the UK. What is more important is we are now recognised as a distinct entity and have addressed most importantly an All Party Parliamentary Group for Parks and Green Spaces in 2023 in Central Government. Other organisations now accept our existence and we are frequently asked our opinions on issues around parks and green spaces. However, we have a lot more to do.
So what are the next steps?
On 28th May, 2020, the interim board met for the first time and was made up of representatives from City of Cardiff, LB Hounslow, LB Ealing, Watford Borough Council, Bury Council, Wirral Council, Manchester City Council, Sheffield City Council, Arun and Worthing District Councils, Urban Green Newcastle, North Tyneside Council, Rugby Borough Council, Nottingham City Council, Salford City Council, Birmingham City Council, Walsall Council, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, Green Estate Sheffield, and Community First Partnership.
The next stage was to begin to work with the regional forums and all the relevant organisations that can help us to strengthen this single voice for the sector – the establishment of a Parks Collective. We contacted the Parks Leaders Forum in New Zealand who had been set up for many years. Their advice was to establish the ‘critical mass’ and develop the ‘network’. This should include individuals who work in the parks sector (and it does not matter at what level) to the organisations who have similar interests in our work. This is crucial and will strengthen our voice and role within the sector.
The meeting on the 10th June, 2020 we discussed the following:
- Adopt the Terms of Reference – ADOPTED
- Agree a statement on the value of parks to be released – AGREED
- Decide on the structure of the interim board – AGREED
- Discuss who we need to collaborate with as a priority – AGREED
We had our first AGM in April 2022 where we reported 280 paid up members and support from many other organisations. In early 2023, we submitted a bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund via a partner Community Interest Company for £240,000 to support the growth of the PMA. Unfortunately this was unsuccessful and in the Autumn of 2023, we will be revisiting this and submitting a revised bid.
The development of the PMA in the last 12 months has been challenging. A resource is needed to grow membership and manage that accordingly. There is still an identified need for us, but numbers in the sector are stretched, with those coming into the sector reducing. This is alarming with many authorities bemoaning the fact they cannot appoint to vacant roles. Where have all the parkies gone?
We have arranged an Emergency General Meeting for 26th September for the board and its advisory group to re-assess our project plan and hope to submit a new application for funding in November 2023.
Paul Rabbitts
Parks and Open Spaces Manager, Norwich City Council, Chairperson
Name:Paul Rabbitts
Current Job Title:Parks and Open Spaces Manager, Norwich City Council, Chairperson
Organisation:Norwich City Council
Years in Public Parks:33
Years in the Sector:35
Qualifications:BA Honours (Geography); Masters in Landscape Architecture
Post nominals:FRSA
Memberships:CLOA, Royal Society of Arts, Royal Historical Society, Green Flag and International Green Flag Judge, Chair of the Parks Management Association, Member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture
Eddie Curry
Head of Parks, Nottingham City Council, Vice Chairperson
Name:Eddie Curry
Current Job Title:Head of Parks, Nottingham City Council, Vice Chairperson
Organisation:Nottingham City Council
Years in Public Parks:25
Years in the Sector:33
Qualifications:OND Landscape Practice HND Horticulture (Amenity and Landscape Provision and Management) MBA Strategic Management
Memberships:International and National Green Flag Judge, Chair of the Core Cities Parks and Green Space Group
Stefania Horne
Executive Director of Neighbourhoods, Dacorum Borough Council
Name:Stefania Horne
Current Job Title:Executive Director of Neighbourhoods, Dacorum Borough Council
Organisation:Dacorum Borough Council
Years in Public Parks:21
Years in the Sector:27
Qualifications:Italian Doctoral degree and MSc (Bangor)
Memberships:Executive Member of CLOA
Chris Worman MBE
Parks and Green Space Manager, South Derbyshire District Council, Vice Chairperson
Name:Chris Worman MBE
Current Job Title:Parks and Green Space Manager, South Derbyshire District Council, Vice Chairperson
Organisation:South Derbyshire District Council
Years in Public Parks:38
Years in the Sector:38
Qualifications:Post Graduate Cert Management Studies
Memberships:National and International Green Flag Judge, Parks Advisory Group, Landscape Institute
Philippa Reece
General Manager, National Trust, Vice Chairperson
Name:Philippa Reece
Current Job Title:General Manager, National Trust, Vice Chairperson
Organisation:The National Trust
Years in Public Parks:15
Years in the Sector:21
Qualifications:BA (Honours), Environmental Management
Memberships:National and International Green Flag Judge
Jane Conway
Operations Manager - Parks Service, Luton Borough Council, Vice Chairperson
Name:Jane Conway
Current Job Title:Operations Manager - Parks Service, Luton Borough Council, Vice Chairperson
Organisation:Luton Borough Council
Years in Public Parks:38
Years in the Sector:38
Qualifications:DMS, Institute of Management
Memberships:National and International Green Flag Judge
Mike Harris
Outdoor Leisure Manager, Tonbridge and Malling, Leisure Services (Outdoors)
Name:Mike Harris
Current Job Title:Outdoor Leisure Manager, Tonbridge and Malling, Leisure Services (Outdoors)
Organisation:Tonbridge and Malling Council
Years in Public Parks:25
Years in the Sector:25
Qualifications:BSc Adventure Recreation
Michael Rowland
Head of Park Operations, The Royal Parks
Name:Michael Rowland
Current Job Title:Head of Park Operations, The Royal Parks
Organisation:The Royal Parks
Years in Public Parks:18
Years in the Sector:27
Qualifications:BSC Hons Biology Post Grad Diploma in Conservation Advanced Diploma in Management
Memberships:National Green Flag Judge
Andy Lee
Parks Manager, Rotherham Council
Name:Andy Lee
Current Job Title:Parks Manager, Rotherham Council
Organisation:Rotherham MBC
David Lambert
Director, The Parks Agency
Name:David Lambert
Current Job Title:Director, The Parks Agency
Organisation:The Parks Agency
Years in Public Parks:30
Years in the Sector:36
Qualifications:MA
Memberships:Royal Society of Arts, Gardens Trust
Darren Share MBE
Director of Parks, The Royal Parks
Name:Darren Share MBE
Current Job Title:Director of Parks, The Royal Parks
Organisation:The Royal Parks
Years in Public Parks:34
Years in the Sector:37
Qualifications:MBA, Cert Arb (theory) WAMITAB Level 4
Memberships:National Britain In Bloom Judge since 2014 and National Chair; National In Bloom Federation and RHS Community Outreach Advisory Group. Trustee for the Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Liz Stuffins
Public Health Development Manager, Walsall Council
Name:Liz Stuffins
Current Job Title:Public Health Development Manager, Walsall Council
Organisation:Walsall Council
Years in Public Parks:34
Years in the Sector:36
Qualifications:BSc (Hons) MSc
Memberships:Landscape Institute, Chair of the Midlands Parks Forum
Annie Surtees
Parks and Streetscene Manager, Salford City Council
Name:Annie Surtees
Current Job Title:Parks and Streetscene Manager, Salford City Council
Organisation:Salford City Council
Years in Public Parks:28
Years in the Sector:33
Qualifications:BSc(Hons), MSc
Memberships:National Green Flag Judge
Stuart Turner
Service Manager Green & Open Spaces, Sheffield City Council
Name:Stuart Turner
Current Job Title:Service Manager Green & Open Spaces, Sheffield City Council
Organisation:Sheffield City Council
Years in Public Parks:19
Years in the Sector:27
Qualifications:BSc (Hons), MSc, MBA Certificate in Ecology & Conservation
Memberships:National Green Flag Judge
Kylie Ward
Parks Lead, Manchester City Council
Name:Kylie Ward
Current Job Title:Parks Lead, Manchester City Council
Organisation:Manchester City Council
Years in Public Parks:22
Years in the Sector:22
Qualifications:BA (Hons) Business Management and Sport
Chris Welsh
Parks Manager, LB Ealing
Name:Chris Welsh
Current Job Title:Parks Manager, LB Ealing
Organisation:LB Ealing
Years in Public Parks:17
Years in the Sector:25
Qualifications:BLA
Memberships:London Benchmarking Group
Laurence Gale
Editor of TurfPro
Name:Laurence Gale
Current Job Title:Editor of TurfPro
Organisation:TurfPro
James Jones-McFarland
Parks Manager, Arun Council
Name:James Jones-McFarland
Current Job Title:Parks Manager, Arun Council
Organisation:Arun Council
Yvonne Kelleher
Parks Service Manager, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils
Name:Yvonne Kelleher
Current Job Title:Parks Service Manager, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils
Organisation:Richmond and Wandsworth Councils
Stephen Daye
Parks and Cemeteries Officer, Ards and North Down District Council
Name:Stephen Daye
Current Job Title:Parks and Cemeteries Officer, Ards and North Down District Council
Organisation:Ards and North Down District Council, Northern Ireland
Lucy Prisk
Green Flag Co-ordinator, Green Flag Wales
Name:Lucy Prisk
Current Job Title:Green Flag Co-ordinator, Green Flag Wales
Organisation:Green Flag Wales
Bernard Sheridan
Director - Bernard Sheridan Consultancy
Name:Bernard Sheridan
Current Job Title:Director - Bernard Sheridan Consultancy
Organisation:Bernard Sheridan Consultancy / South Derbyshire Council
Years in the Sector:33
Qualifications:Chartered Horticulturist; Master of Horticulture (RHS); National Diploma in the Science and Practice of Sportsground Management (IOG)
Memberships:Chartered Institute of Horticulture
Matt Kelly
Service Manager - Parks and Streetscene, Wigan Council
Name:Matt Kelly
Current Job Title:Service Manager - Parks and Streetscene, Wigan Council
Organisation:Wigan Council
Memberships:Green Flag Judge, the former Chair of the Lancashire Parks group and a former Member of the Greenspace North West steering group.
David Winslow
Community Parks Officer, Derby City Council
Name:David Winslow
Current Job Title:Community Parks Officer, Derby City Council
Organisation:Derby City Council
Simon Odell, Landscape Futures CIC
Director
Name:Simon Odell, Landscape Futures CIC
Current Job Title:Director
Organisation:Landscape Futures CIC
Steven Skinner, St Austell Town Council
Operations Manager
Name:Steven Skinner, St Austell Town Council
Current Job Title:Operations Manager
Organisation:St Austell Town Council