Urban Green Newcastle was set up to help diversify income streams for urban green space, without the need for local authority funding.
The challenge of finding new ways of funding public parks is not unique to Newcastle upon Tyne, and Urban Green Newcastle worked closely with other organisations across the country – including the National Trust as part of the Government-backed Future Parks Accelerator.
The charity was hugely successful in generating grant funding and donations, bringing in over £3.7 million additional investment to benefit the local area. At the same time, new funding streams were identified and explored, including Biodiversity Net Gain and Countryside Stewardship, which had the potential to bring in several million pounds for the city’s green spaces.
Through its commercial company, Newcastle Parks Enterprises Ltd, Urban Green Newcastle explored a number of commercial ventures. However, like many organisations, the COVID 19 pandemic had a huge impact on the charity’s ability to raise income and establish plans for the future. In 2024, Urban Green Newcastle was awarded funding to establish a new business plan with further feasibility studies, but this could not be pursued due to Newcastle City Council’s review and subsequent decision to bring parks and allotments back under its control.
While seeking to develop new income streams, Urban Green Newcastle never lost sight of its vision and ethos; to have communities at its heart, and to protect and enhance Newcastle’s treasured green spaces.
Park cafes
Urban Green Newcastle inherited a number of operating cafes across the parks, which were leased to third party providers. In addition, there were a number of empty properties which provided opportunities for future outlets. Urban Green Newcastle worked closely with existing tenants, along with potential new café providers, while also exploring options to open its own ‘in-house’ cafés as the funding and opportunities became available.
In May 2024, Urban Green Newcastle opened its own cafe and community space in Exhibition Park – Urban Green Café. It proved to be very popular, hosting regular themed nights, live performances, and even a visit from HRH Princess Anne.
This was closely followed by a second cafe in Paddy Freeman’s Park, along with a mobile Coffee Pod, allowing the charity to generate additional income. All reflected the ethos and vision of Urban Green Newcastle – promoting local initiatives, reducing waste and single-use plastic, and working closely with local providers that had similar commitments to sustainability and community support.
The Urban Green Cafe in Exhibition Park was presented with the Plastic Free Award for South Jesmond 2023 from Plastic Free Jesmond & Sandyford, in recognition of its contribution and commitment to recycling, waste reduction, and sustainable practices.
Use of buildings
The charity worked with property specialists to review existing leases and bring unoccupied buildings back into use by organisations who supported the charity’s vision and values. In Gosforth Central Park, community interest company Mushroom Works signed a ten-year lease with Urban Green Newcastle to transform the Bowling Pavilion building into The Hut on the Green – an event space offering a year-round programme of classes, workshops and talks in a wide range of creative practices: from life drawing and basket weaving to ceramics and horticulture.
In Walker Park, local amateur football team Walker Central Football Club signed a lease to reopen Walker Centre, transforming it into a new space for the community. As well as reopening the café, the club provides family fun days inside the Centre and the park, and a dedicated area for children to do their homework.
In Leazes Park, Springbank Pavilion was refurbished and reopened it as a new community arts venue in 2022 with funding from the LGA Foundation and the Community Foundation, and a successful partnership with Newcastle Hospitals Charity. It hosted an exciting programme of creative events, including on-site workshops and educational sessions, for NHS staff, patients and the public.
Prior to its closure, the Urban Green Newcastle was in active discussions with other local organisations to lease vacant park buildings.
Commercial events
The majority of events supported by Urban Green Newcastle were small and free to attend. Alongside this, the Council’s Operating Model for the charity proposed the hosting of multiple major events in the parks to generate income. The charity quickly recognised the detrimental impact of this plan on both the park fabric and local communities, and set about a rethink.
An Events Strategy was subsequently established to set out the principles by which the charity would host events while meeting its charitable aims. Core to this was the need to balance community and commercial events, while protecting the environment and promoting accessibility, sustainability, and wider engagement. New conditions on events in Newcastle’s green spaces introduced by Newcastle City Council’s licencing committee further reduced the number of events Urban Green Newcastle could deliver over a 12-month period, and the charity adjusted its business plan to reflect this.
The introduction of events by Urban Green Newcastle proved popular with many residents, but remains controversial. There were however major benefits for the wider economy, by contributing to the development of the city’s cultural sector and bringing more visitors to the city. For example, the winter light show at Leazes Park brought more than 100,000 visitors to the city in the run up to Christmas, resulting in additional income for surrounding businesses.
Fundraising
Grants
Despite having limited resources to commit to fundraising, Urban Green Newcastle secured over £3.7 million in grants between 2019 – 2024. Much of this would not have been available to Newcastle City Council. This money allowed the charity to carry out many additional activities, including the purchase of essential equipment, support for volunteers, delivery of an extensive environmental education programme, and improvements for wildlife across the city.
The charity was also exploring new funding opportunities, including Biodiversity Net Gain, which could have unlocked significant new income streams for the parks. The loss of Urban Green Newcastle as a delivery body for BNG will require a rethink from the Council on how it unlocks this promising funding stream in the future.
The importance of local green space for people, and the value they attach to it, was demonstrated by the support shown for Urban Green Newcastle in its delivery and fundraising. A number of local Trust funds, including the LGA Foundation, Reece Foundation and Newcastle Hospitals Charity, became close and valued partners. At the same time, local people and communities played a huge role in supporting the charity.
Crowdfunding
Urban Green Newcastle supported a number of local business and community groups to deliver crowdfunding campaigns to raise money for the city’s green spaces, including:
- Members of the local community in Heaton, who raised £21,000 to replace arson-damaged play equipment in Heaton Park
- Gosforth Shopping Centre and local community group Gosforth Play Park, who raised over £5,000 to deliver repairs and upgrades to the play area in Gosforth Central Park, and continue to fundraise for a new play area.
- Northern Lights Newcastle, who spearheaded a crowdfunding campaign that raised £21,000 to reopen popular pieces of play equipment in Leazes Park play area.
Donations
Members of the public were able to make donations to Urban Green Newcastle via the charity’s official JustGiving page. There was also a dedicated JustGiving page for Pets’ Corner in Jesmond Dene, allowing people to support the much-loved animals that called the park home.
Corporate volunteering
Urban Green Newcastle developed relationships with a number of businesses who were keen to contribute to the charity – not only with their time, but also financially.
The charity’s partnership with TCV | The Conservation Volunteers proved extremely helpful in developing a corporate volunteering programme, and bringing volunteers into the parks to support the Urban Green Newcastle’s work. It is hoped Newcastle City Council will continue to develop this programme going forward.
