Do you live close to a park that you care about?
Would you like to have a say in how it is looked after, used or developed?
Why not become a Friend of your Park?
Friends of Parks can get involved in many different ways:
- practical workdays,
- regular litter picks (we can provide litter pickers and black bags),
- habitat surveys,
- consultations,
- organising entertainment, such as concerts and fetes,
- securing grants and sponsorship to improve greenspaces.
We have already seen some great initiatives and support from our Friends of Parks groups, from applying for Platinum Jubilee Parks Funding for improvements and conservation, to supporting our annual Park User Satisfaction Survey and regular park litter picks.
If you are interested in becoming a Friend of a Park, please complete the registration form to join an existing group or to start a group of your own.
For more details of Friends of Parks groups and how they are involved in our parks, please visit Bromley parks website. Additionally, Bromley Friends Forum provide an up to date list of the active friends groups within Bromley.
Problems with your local park?
We take pride in the borough’s parks, woodland and open spaces, and want to make sure that they are as clean, tidy, and enjoyable as we can make them. You can help us keep your park clean and safe by letting us know when you see a problem, such as:
- broken, damaged, or vandalised trees, plants, or grass,
- graffiti and fly-posting
- dumped rubbish and litter (fly-tipping)
- faulty park lighting, benches, or other facilities,
- path and fencing issues
Further information
Bromley Council owns and is responsible for over 28km2 (10.8 square miles) of park land, open spaces and woodland in the borough. There are also other green spaces managed by partners such as the Chislehurst Conservators and National Trust. In 2023, the Crystal Palace Park Trust became responsible for Crystal Palace Park as part of the Regeneration Plan for this park.
Bromley Council currently has a contract with idverde to manage and maintain all council owned areas, with our strategic vision set out in the council’s Open Spaces Strategy.
The Friends Forum of Bromley Parks and Green Spaces is an independent body who work in partnership with the London Borough of Bromley to create a better environment for all. Through this partnership, users and visitors to our community get a greater say in what goes on in their local areas.
You may like to find out more about our other volunteer groups like Street Friends who help us by removing litter and reporting problems such as graffiti in their street, Tree Friends who monitor the health of street trees and carry out small maintenance tasks, and Snow Friends who help clear snow and ice during the winter.
Community Links Bromley (CLB)
CLB is the council for voluntary service and volunteer centre covering the borough of Bromley. CLB support volunteer groups (such as Friends of Parks) who are looking for funding for community projects.
Additionally, they hold regular events which can be found in their events calendar.
- ‘Meet the funders’ events are a great opportunity to learn about how to apply for funding and to understand what these bodies want from applications. For example, events have been hosted for the National Lottery Community Fund in many locations across Bromley.
- Draft application advice: CLB is always happy to scrutinise and provide improvements to draft applications. Acquiring funding is very competitive therefore this advice could make the difference for your bid.
- Wide range of training: such as bid writing, artificial intelligence (AI) in fundraising, cyber security, health and safety, and emergency first aid.
- Volunteer support: CLB offers support to volunteer-involving organisations including recruitment and training in volunteer related matters.