Queen's Park
'Friends Of' Groups

 

With over 70 parks, Glasgow is affectionately known as 'The Dear Green Place'. Such is the diversity of these parks you will always be able to find somewhere to suit your needs.

Friends of Glasgow's Parks

Friends of Groups play a valuable role in the upkeep and enjoyment of our parks and green-spaces. They consist of local people who volunteer their time and effort to improve the city’s green-spaces. Anyone can join and volunteer as much or as little of their time as they wish.

Glasgow has a number of Friends groups who are an enthusiastic group of people that act as important link between the City Council, the managers of the park and various different groups of park users.

The groups value and appreciate the city’s recreational green spaces and have been able to suggest improvements and encourage the restoration of these parks and spaces by raising funding for physical improvements, seeing joint projects through to completion, and giving opinions on proposed plans for the park. 

Examples of projects undertaken with Friends groups include:

  • Friends of Springburn Park - redevelop the nature trail with improved interpretation for visitors

  • Friends of Glasgow Necropolis - eductaional/historical tours of Glasgow Necropolis given by the group

  • Friends of the River Kelvin - environmental clean ups of the river banks
    		•    man planting flowers

    Why set up a Friends Group

    People establish a Friends group to actively improve their local park. It may be to:

    • Protect the natural beauty and help improve the existing facilities and resources of the park
    • Increase public awareness of proposed alterations to the park and its environs
    • Undertake single projects such as tree planting, wild flower planting, purchasing and installing benches
    • Regenerate a neglected, underused site
    • Document and exhibit the heritage of the park
    • Improve biodiversity and wildlife areas in the park
    • Carry out environmental clean ups, organise community events or group walks

    At present Glasgow has 19 Friends Groups covering parks, cemeteries and rivers, however, there are still many parks and woodlands in the city in need of some care from local residents who want to make a difference to the green spaces in their neighbourhood.

    If you would like to join your local park’s friends of group you can either contact Land and Environmental Services directly or contact the relevant group below.  Where we have details of a group's website, this can be accessed where indicated via the group name.

    Group Contact Details
    Friends of Barrachnie Park Contact Land and Environmental
    Services for details
    Friends of Beardmore Park Contact Land and Environmental
    Services for details
    Friends of Botanic Gardens

    The Secretary
    c/o The Gardens Office
    Glasgow Botanic Gardens
    Glasgow
    G12 0UE
    Tel: 0141 276 1614
    send e-mail

    Friends of Crookston Church,Castle & Grounds Alan Steel
    c/o The Village Storytelling Centre
    St James’s 183 Meiklerig Cres
    G53 5NA
    Friends of Dawsholm Park Robert Hastie
    send e-mail
    Friends of Glasgow Green John Huges (chair)
    send e-mail

    Martin Dean (secretary)
    send e-mail
    Friends of Glasgow Necropolis send e-mail
    Friends of Kelvingrove Park M.Carrabino
    90 Park Road, G4 9HB
    Friends of King's Park Contact Land and Environmental
    Services for details
    Friends of Linn Park www.friendsoflinnpark.btik.com
    Friends of Mansfield Park send e-mail
    Friends of Old Station Park Susan Sinclair
    Secretary
    send e-mail
    Friends of Overnewton Sq

    David Hodge (chair)
    c/o Overnewton Recreation Centre,
    2 Overnewton Square, Glasgow,
    G3 8RW

    Ms Anne Lumb (secretary)
    c/o Glasgow Steiner School, 52 Lumsden St,     G3 8RH

    Friends of Provan Hall Contact Land and Environmental
    Services for details
    Friends of the River Kelvin send e-mail
    Friends of Ruchill Park Contact Land and Environmental
    Services for details
    Friends of Springburn Park Springburn Park Depot
    100 Belmont Road
    Glasgow
    G21 3AY
    Friends of Tollcross Park Donald Forbes (chair)
    156 Wellshot Rd, G32 7AX

    Duncan B McLachlin (secretary)
    4 Fairholm St, G32 7QB
    Friends of the Weavers (Abercrombie St Cemetery) Contact Land and Environmental
    Services for details
    Queen's Park User Group Contact Land and Environmental
    Services for details


    Guidance on Setting up a Friends Group

    Glasgow City Council will always welcome people wishing to set up a new Friends group to help care for their local park, open space, river, cemetery or woodland and will offer assistance to those trying to establish their group.

    Read more about the steps involved in setting up a Friends Group


    Glasgow City Council
    Land and Environmental Services
    Parks Development
    37 High Street
    Glasgow
    G1 1LX