Transforming Parks and Community Green Spaces

Bristol ESL has joined forces with Bristol City Council’s Parks Service to transform local parks and green spaces so they are more dynamic and reflective of the local communities served. We’re setting out to diversify the local parks and green space workforce by inspiring the next generation about horticulture and land management careers, helping employers to create entry apprenticeships and career progression opportunities, and providing people with skills for employment and to support the development of community gardens and allotments.

There are a number of work packages taking shape – from researching local employers and raising the profile of Parks and Land Management careers and training pathways; developing a new programme of community engagement and social inclusion activities, and providing experience of work, career coaching and pre-recruitment training. By targeting Bristol’s priority neighbourhoods and equalities communities, we intend this project to help tackle economic and social inclusion, to build a bridge between education and work and ultimately to reduce health inequalities through positive impacts on physical and mental health and wellbeing.

The Bristol WORKS team have already kicked off with some engaging experiences of work providing young people with career insights into the world of horticulture. As part of a careers event at Knowle DGE Academy, Christopher Boddington from Knowle Edible Garden gave a great insight into the world of gardening and students planted beans, peas and garlic that they could take home to nurture. There was a lot of excitement around getting their hands dirty in the soil!

For more information about this initiative, contact the Project Manager: David Price at david.price@bristol.gov.uk