This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scotland getting greener
01/12/2006
Projects to encourage the use of green space in Scotland's towns and cities are to be supported with £750,000 from the Executive.
The money will be shared between Greenspace Scotland, the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers and Community Service Volunteers who aim to bring the countryside closer to urban areas.
Deputy Environment Minister Rhona Brankin said:
"Healthy communities need healthy places. Greenspace is vital to our quality of life, making Scotland's towns and cities places where people want to live and work
"Giving people of all ages the opportunity to come closer to nature and appreciate its benefits will improve people's physical and mental health. Greenspace provides places for walking, cycling, playing or just sitting and enjoying the environment.. Attractive, green spaces can also be an important element in our efforts to regenerate and revitalise our most deprived communities."
"The projects we are funding today will improve the health of urban communities and make greenspace a reality for more Scots."
The projects include:
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers - £400,000
- piloting school Green Gyms in Primary 7 classes in North Lanarkshire, Upper Nithsdale, Inverness and Dunfermline. Green gyms are 'work outs' in the open air through practical environmental or gardening work
- giving green activities to young people at the North Edinburgh Community Centre Greenspace Initiative
- developing a 'Peace of Mind' community garden at King's Park in Stirling
BTCV projects will involve around 2,000 volunteers in total and add 100 new groups linked to the BTCV Community Local Action Network.
Community Service Volunteers - £75,500
- improve gardens and green spaces around Adult Resource and Day centres in East Ayrshire and Edinburgh
- work with Glasgow Parks to ensure greater use of parks, including providing volunteer support to set up a Young Park Rangers Scheme.
- allow volunteers to restore neglected and run down open spaces
Greenspace Scotland - £298,000
- develop a comprehensive map of all greenspace across urban Scotland
- develop ways to assess the quality of greenspace, working towards a set of common standards
- collaborating with US-based Project for Public Space on placemaking to ensure greater community and involvement