Green Spaces Forum Meeting Minutes

Location: Room C47/48, City of Edinburgh Council, Waverley Court, East Market Street, Edinburgh Time: Wednesday 27th November 2019, 6-8pm

Attendees: Name Friends Group John Kerr Friends of the River Almond (Chair) Jeni Rowe (JR) Friends of Seven Acre Park (Minutes) Roger West (RW) Friends of Fairmilehead Park (Committee) Anni McLeod (AM) Friends of Wester Hill and Greenbank Community Woodland (Committee) Sarah Tolley (ST) Friends of the Meadows & & Greening our streets Kirsten Thorburn Friends of Saughton Park Pam Barnes Friends of Park Tim Parker (TP) Friends of Victoria Park Olive Hill Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Garden Christine Savill Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Garden Geoff Cantley Friends of the Hermitage and Friends of Midmar Paddock Barbara Blows Friends of Newington Cemetery Barbara Knowles Friends of Roseburn Park Alex Mann Friends of Meadows & Bruntsfield Links Margaret Bruce Friends of Braidburn Valley Park Lesley Skeates Friends of Wardie Playing Fields Gillian Paterson Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden Jonathan Paterson Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden Graham Beal Friends of Seven Acre Park Sarah Murphy CEC – Parks Department

Speakers Lindsay Grant (LG) CEC – Parks Department Catherine Ward Thompson Director, OPENspace research centre

1. Welcome & Introductions

2. CEC Update – Lindsay Grant

2.1. Park Life Project • Using data to help work out what people are using the park spaces for and how many • The owls, cycle counters, play park gates counter, and listening bat devices all collect the data • They are in some of the parks in the city including Saughton, Inverleith and the Meadows

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• Funded by Nesta • Extended to the end of March 2020 • There will be feedback on what did and didn’t work to help other parks 2.2. Parks Quality Assessment • Results are available now – ask your parks officer or Lindsay can send to you if you contact him 2.3. Parks Events Manifesto Review • This is been delayed • Combination of parks and green spaces as well as roads and public squares which is a different department (hence the delay) 2.4. Annual Consultation on Events is open • CEC is looking at procuring events for 4 news parks including Sighthill and Carlton Hill • JK to send out link to consultation 2.5. Consultation on how Princess Street Gardens winter festival was handled • This will be out in the new year 2.6. Consultation on the Ross Bandstand • Ends on 1st December – JK to send out link (Post meeting note, this has now ended) 2.7. Thriving Green Spaces Project • Is fully resourced now with staff • Will be sessions in the new year starting consultation with Friends Groups and other community representatives 2.8. CEC P,G&C are undergoing another internal review • CEC looking to save money and restructure by end of Jan 2.9. Annual Friends Event • The next meeting of the Friends Groups run by CEC on Wednesday 29th January 2.10. Waste bins in parks • TP queried about bins being removed from parks (particularly Victoria Park) to perimeter streets • LG noted that the policy is to start removing bins from centre of parks to perimeter for easier access to be emptied • Parks Managers are aware of this, but there are no timings on this being rolled out to other parks • Request for someone from the Waste Dept to address the forum meeting at a future time - JK 3. Theories of Change – how we are developing our approach to Monitoring and Evaluation for Edinburgh’s Thriving Green Spaces - Catherine Ward Thompson 3.1. Catherine talking about the work that she is doing in relation to the Thriving Green Spaces Project 3.2. General notes: • Adding financial value to park • Vision for Edinburgh Green Spaces for 2050 • Where do we want to be at the end of the 2 years of funding? And then how does it progress? • Theory of Change (ToC) Process

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o What’s the big vision? Context? Main assumptions? Evaluate • Sphere of Control/Influence – what’s practical and what can we do? • Start with the end – what’s the challenge and how can we achieve it, then work backwards • Key stakeholders – who has the power and who is aligned with the scheme? • Who is doing what currently - Employees/friends groups? • Need clear objectives/milestones/indicators • Output – Outcome – Impact • Monitoring – Evaluation – Learning (MEL) • Accountable to Stakeholders and feedback in relation to learning • The comments the friend’s groups gave at the previous consultation has been inputted into the process

4. EGSF Business 4.1. Website • ST showed the group the website and talked through it • We need a logo for the group, which could go on the website – competition? • Website is provided free by BT • It is mobile friendly • Action - JK to send link out to all groups 4.2. National Federation for Parks and Green Spaces (NFPGS) Meeting • JR attended the latest meeting via phone conference, as it was held in Birmingham • Parks from all over the country attended and issues relating to all the parks were discussed • Minutes from the meeting will be disturbed once issued 4.3. Public Liability insurance • JK has previously sent an email with a link to what activities the council covers friends’ groups • Thriving Green Spaces Project – can we get insurance for groups through this project? To be investigated • Forum wide insurance – it is possible but requires payment and therefore difficult to manage. No idea of costs • Charities should also have Trustee Indemnity Insurance

5. Dates for Future Meetings Wednesday 29th January – City Chambers 6 – 8pm (Yearly Council run Friends Groups Meeting)

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