Greenspace for Communities Initiative Plan Executive Summary

The Greenspace for Communities Initiative (GfCI) was established by SNH to achieve a step change in the quantity and quality of greenspaces in and around Scotland’s towns and cities. This will be achieved through increased coordination, support and resources for local community action. This strategy sets out our commitments to the management and development of the GfCI to 2007.

Building on the experience of SNH and others, the GfCI brings together local partnerships from across urban Scotland to create Greenspace Scotland, a new federation to champion greenspace at a national level, and support action at a local level. The action on greenspace stimulated by Greenspace Scotland will create new opportunities to integrate social, environmental and economic agendas.

Both Greenspace Scotland and SNH recognise the need to establish clear roles for their staff and partners with regard to achieving the aims of the GfCI. SNH has identified six key areas for action over the next 5 years;

1. Build commitment to, and sustain, the GfCI by working with Greenspace Scotland and others to raise awareness of the GfCI, promoting its achievements, and encourage the incorporation of the principles underlying the GfCI into policies and practices across SNH and its partners;

2. Develop capacity within SNH to ensure that all staff involved in the GfCI have the skills and knowledge required to meet our commitments to Greenspace Scotland and the local greenspace partnerships;

3. Work with Greenspace Scotland and local greenspace partnerships to enable key partners to engage with the GfCI, fulfilling a variety of roles that strengthen and develop the ability of Greenspace Scotland and its members to deliver the GfCI mission;

4. Ensure transparency and accountability of all resources committed to the GfCI by SNH and its partners;

5. Establish agreed, realistic and measurable targets for Greenspace Scotland and local greenspace partnerships, and review the progress of the GfCI against these;

6. Ensure benefit for the natural heritage in and around Scotland’s towns and cities.

Improving Scotland’s greenspace in a way that meets the needs and aspirations of communities is an enormous challenge. It means working with a wide range of partners, from national and local government to local communities. SNH believes that through Greenspace Scotland and its network of local greenspace partnerships we can achieve shared objectives and deliver a range of benefits for people living in Scotland’s towns and cities.