The UK’s 27,000 parks provide essential green spaces for exercise, socialising, relaxation, and active travel routes away from busy roads. However, 1 in 6 women feel unsafe in parks during daylight hours, a ratio three times higher than men (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2022), and women who have experienced harassment are more likely to be fearful (ONS, 2022). Consequently, women often limit park visits, avoid certain times or going alone, and adapt their behaviour for safety, thus missing out on the well-documented health benefits of parks.
In collaboration with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and Keep Britain Tidy, this initiative trains park staff and volunteers across Britain to safely intervene in harassment situations, drawing from harassment scenarios that women identified in research led by Dr Barker. The training equips participants to recognise and respond to potential risks, positively influencing outcomes.
The project will also develop park managers’ understanding of gender-sensitive park design and management through engagement with the ‘Safer Parks: Improving Access for Women and Girls’ guidance, which forms part of the Green Flag Award quality standard for parks that stems from research led by Dr Barker.
The project will host workshops with park managers in Scotland, Wales, the North-East, the North-West, the Midlands and London.
This project is funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account 2024–2025.
Contacts
Partners
- Suzy Lamplugh Trust
- Keep Britain Tidy