October 15th 17:00 to 18:00 [GMT (London) Time]
RETHINKING PARKS, NESTA, UK
Public sector funding for discretionary services like parks is projected to fall by 60 per cent or more over the next decade. Program Manager Lydia Ragoonanan will talk about the approach used through Rethinking Parks to create conditions for innovation and to enable new business models to come to life. The partnership is working with 11 teams to develop, test and measure the impact of new approaches to raising income or reducing costs for public parks. Lydia will draw on insights and experiences from these project teams as well as Nesta's wider work.
PLAYTIME IN AFRICA, MMOFRA FOUNDATION, GHANA
Amowi Phillips, board member of Mmofra Foundation will describe the pioneering effort she and others are making to rethink child-centered green space in urban Ghana. A prototype two-acre park benefiting children of all backgrounds in Accra is underway as the first project under this "Playtime in Africa Initiative". Creative harnessing of local and global early support has put eco-sanitation, off-grid water and solar power on the site. Amowi will share and invite next stage strategies to construct, maintain and manage a culturally inspired natural learning landscape in an urban African context.
About The New Barn-Raising
The New Barn-Raising is an initiative to encourage the exchange of international best practice around sustaining community and civic assets such as parks, recreation centers, libraries, neighborhood stores, senior centers, museums and theaters. These are places and spaces characterized by a high degree of accessibility, popularity and sense of belonging to 'the people'.
The term New Barn-Raising refers to how different groups (business, citizens, foundations, non-profits groups, politicians, social entrepreneurs, social investors, taxpayers and unions) can all pull together to support assets.
