Set up and run a Friends of Park Group

Start your own Friends of Park Group

You can start a new group in a park where none exists.

Set up a Friends of Park Group

Your group will need to have at least one main contact person.
Once your group is created you may want to set up:

• a Facebook page and Twitter profile
• a website

Health and Safety

To start planning activities as a Friends of Park Group, you'll need at least one person who's attended Bristol Parks Health and Safety training.

The Parks Health and Safety course covers key aspects in organising and running volunteer activities in a green space, including risk assessments, tool use, hazardous plants and additional support.

Trained parks volunteers are covered under Bristol City Council personal accident and public liability insurance to lead group participants in a range of practical tasks using hand tools.

Apply for health and safety training

Bristol Park Volunteers that lead work sessions use standard forms and risk assessments to deliver safe sessions.

Forms and model risk assessments for trained parks volunteers

• document Site specific risk assessment template (28 KB)
• document Park volunteer activity health and safety plan (45 KB)
• document Accident report form (16 KB)
• document Attendance sheet for work sessions (23 KB)
• Model activity risk assessments
  • document Guided walks and talks  (30 KB)
  • document Hedgelaying and tree pruning (27 KB)
  • document Litter picking  (34 KB)
  • document Scrub and vegetation clearance  (26 KB)
  • document Tree and other planting tasks  (27 KB)
  • document Wildlife surveying (39 KB)
  • document Scything risk assessment (33 KB)
• Model generic risk assessments
  • document General: relevant to any outdoor work sessions  (42 KB)
  • document Tool use (26 KB)
  • document Manual handling  (31 KB)
• Training packs for Park Volunteer leads
  • document Pack A: Parks Health and Safety training support pack  (3.94 MB)
  • document Pack B: Parks Health and Safety pack including forms and risk assessments (1.88 MB)

Resources for Friends of Parks Groups

The resources below offer guidance to develop your park or green space activity programme and group. 

Key Contacts to Support Green Space development

• Read our  pdf Key Contacts for Bristol Parks Volunteers (1.07 MB)  who offer guidance, help and support to develop your green space projects or park group. 
• Your Park Bristol and Bath guidance on setting up a parks group.

Nature Conservation Guidance 

1. Bristol Parks: document Nature Conservation Guidance and timetable for actions (48 KB) .
2. Avon Wildlife Trust, Team Wilder: Visit Team Wilder's website for information on how to start a new project and access training and resources including “How To” guides on meadow creation, natural barriers and dead hedges. 

Roles in the group

• pdf how to be a chairperson (37 KB)
• pdf how to be a secretary (44 KB)
• pdf how to be a treasurer (35 KB)

Finance

• pdf applying for grant funding (75 KB)

Media

• pdf tips for press releases (49 KB)
• pdf how to give radio interviews (46 KB)
• pdf Bristol media contact list (41 KB)

Park surveys and engagement 

• document example park user survey (26 KB)

Working effectively with volunteers

• pdf Volunteer Pledge (38 KB)
• pdf Volunteering Charter (291 KB)