During 2026, Southampton Collective is working with Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) in Southampton on a project to do with safe green spaces, with inner city residents, community organisations, Southampton City Council park officers and academics. We know that people really value open spaces in order to help them with health and improve quality of life, be it through getting out of the house, socialising with others, connecting with nature, walking, cycling or sports, and much more. The purpose of this project is to help identify research gaps and support improved connections and collaborations, in order to improve people's health. 

During February and March 2026 we held two public events to explore issues. During the Summer 2026 we are refining these into some projects which will be used as the basis for funding bids and other ways to secure resources for green space improvements and additional research. 

Inner City Community Walk

During our Inner city community walk on 12th March, which involved over 20 people including local residents, we reflected on what's working in open spaces and shared ideas for improvement. The full findings are in this report: Southampton Inner City green spaces walkaround summary PDF. We walked through St Marys, around Holyrood Estate and into parks including Hoglands and Houndswell Parks. There's lots of positive things to note - active communities, well-used playgrounds, strong cultural diversity, interesting heritage and urban art. Of course, issues to do with safety and making open spaces accessible for all are on people's minds, and places where people can meet and relax are really important. Small interventions such as bulb planting, nature trails, and play and sport equipment for older children/teenagers would be welcome by many. More space for nature, shade and shelter is valued, although people are concerned if these become taken over by anti-social or intimidating behaviour. More ways to show the local heritage could help bring some open spaces to life. People had lots of ideas for community activities such as litter picks and revitalised community gardens. Everything needs to be designed with long term support, maintenance and ownership in mind. Recognising and supporting green spaces as places for recovery, wellbeing and social connection is crucial.

Green and Open Spaces Webinar

Previously, on 11 February we held an online event to explore what's strong in Southampton's Green and Open Spaces. Lots of organisations and individuals are working hard in Southampton to improve people’s experience of green spaces and we heard about * All Aboard festival and other activities in the St Denys areas, * the Wilder Mansbridge project helping residents connect with nature, * Wicketz free community cricket programme, * the transformation of Sullivan Road Rec with Montys Community Hub, * Angela Chicken's innovative 10 Mins on park photography project, * how SoCo Music uses the pavilion in Hoglands Park for music and more (with ambitious plans for the future), * regular volunteering in parks with Southampton City Council rangers and * the Urban Wild festival coming up in May 2026. 

We then asked this question and received the following answers:

What improves access and use of green and open spaces in Southampton for health and wellbeing?

 VIBRANT AND VARIED USES Some parks (e.g. city centre parks) are well used – they need to be vibrant, mixed use, with diverse activities happening at different times of day, to make the spaces feel safer.

EVENTS – AND KNOWING ABOUT THEM – TO HELP PEOPLE GET TO KNOW THEIR LOCAL GREEN SPACES Regular activities such as parkrun, park yoga, nature-based activities etc all help with this. During this webinar, people commented there was a lot more going on than they had heard about.

CAFES AND SIMILAR There’s a need for more regular presence and cafes/coffee vans are welcome.

ACCESS How do people get there, and know how to access them? Bus and cycle routes, bike parking, clear signage/directions to parks and encouraging people to walk are all important. Access for people with mobility issues is also important.

PHYSICAL COMFORT/AMENITIES There are very limited public toilets in Southampton’s parks. People need to know where they can go to the loo, and they need access to drinking water, seating, shade from heat, and lighting at night.

FEELING SAFE Safety is an issue. People assess danger, including making perceptions of risks from others. People need to know how to exit parks, and clear sightlines are needed, lighting was also discussed.

ORGANISED ACTIVITIES NEED TO BE IN A SAFE SPACE Organisers need a level of control of spaces, especially if running activities for children. This can be a difficulty when using public parks. In this case, spaces such as school outdoor spaces can be more suitable.

SHARING STORIES about people’s use of parks and open spaces past and present is a great way to connect people with these spaces.

STORAGE FOR EQUIPMENT There is lots of potential to do more activities in parks, such as bike activities with bikes on loan, but storage in and around parks is limited. Make the most of the buildings we have?

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP, COMMUNITY ACTION AND LEARNING FROM OTHER AREAS The importance of working with different partners and making connections came up, whether that’s with council, other organisations, businesses, volunteers and beyond. Taking ownership of local spaces was also discussed, to insulate communities from changes in policy direction or priorities in funding. In the area of litter, examples of creative community action were given, from impromptu litter picking near Monty’s, making litter collages in Mansfield and the Great British Spring Clean | Keep Britain Tidy

The case for public investment in parks

On Thursday 30 April, we attended a talk by Humera Sultan from Birmingham: Making the health economic case for local authority investment in parks. Parks are really  important for health and wellbeing: physical health, mental health, social cohesion and adaptation to climate change. Humera shared some really interesting data on how resources have historically been allocated to green spaces. Taking into account inflation, it is clear that there has been a considerable reduction in investment in parks in Birmingham. In terms of where the money is spent, there is a trend which suggests the most deprived areas are receiving less investment in parks, whereas the wealthier parts of the city are doing better in terms of park funding. Which leads us to ask, what is the picture in Southampton? Are we spending money in ways that could benefit the communities that could do with extra support? This is something we are keen to find out more about, and will inform our next steps.

Supporting communities to improve parks

In the webinar, Humera Sultan also talked about the value of supporting the development of volunteer groups in and around parks. Here in our city, Southampton Green Network is supporting volunteers and others to get more activities going in parks, by sharing ideas and experiences and identifying funding opportunities. For more information or to join the Southampton Green Network, please email SGN@southamptonvs.org.uk

 

To find out more about this Safe Green Spaces work, please contact rebecca @ socollective.org.uk