Parkinson’s Park in Guiseley, just off Netherfield Road, is one of 70 parks and green spaces from across the UK which has achieved “Local Favourite” status in the Fields in Trust UK’s Favourite Parks 2022 award. The status reflects the immense value placed on the park by its local community.  Local Favourites status is reserved for parks placed in the top 20% of all votes across the UK.

Friend’s of Parkinson’s Park Director and Vice Chair Jennifer Kirkby said “we are delighted that local residents care enough about Parkinson’s Park to vote for it in this award scheme. The Park was initially established by Crompton Parkinson’s for their employees and the people of Guiseley, but became a neglected wilderness after the factory closed. It was saved in 2011 by local residents and the Friends have worked with management company Meadfleet ever since to develop it as both a natural green space and a community Park for everyone to enjoy. It really came into its own during the pandemic, providing a much needed recreation space.” A video made by the Park by ITV Calendar can be found here.

Over 30,000 voters supported 364 nominated parks and green spaces. With more green spaces nominated in 2022 than ever before, the campaign has illustrated how appreciation of our local parks has grown since the pandemic.

The UK’s Favourite Parks award is organised by green space charity Fields in Trust who,for almost 100 years, have legally protected parks and green spaces ensuring they will always be available for future generations to enjoy.

The overall UK favourite park was Penrhos Coastal Park in Holyhead, Wales. National winners have also been named, including Aberdeen’s Seaton Park in Scotland and Craigavon City Park in Northern Ireland. Stanley Park in Blackpool has been named England’s Favourite Park 2022, attaining prestigious ‘National Treasure’ status having now been voted as the public’s favourite park in England three times.

Chief Executive of Fields in Trust, Helen Griffiths, said: “We’ve had a fantastic response to the celebration of our parks from all across the UK and I’d like to thank everyone who nominated and voted over the summer. The UK is home to such a diverse range of green spaces, and we hope that this award has encouraged people to truly appreciate their local parks. Our work to legally protect green spaces for good means we’re well aware of the threats they face and how important it is value and celebrate them” .

“Green spaces have been proven to improve health and wellbeing, yet Fields in Trust’s annual Green Space Index, published earlier this year, reveals that 2.8 million people in Great Britain do not live within a ten-minute walk of a local park, and only 6% of green space provision is legally protected leaving it potentially vulnerable to loss for development“.