Our Centenary

In 1925 Fields in Trust was founded by a group of philanthropic families and organisations who had the foresight to recognise the need to protect parks and playing fields against the backdrop of rapid construction in our towns and cities. Led by The Duke of Sutherland and a coalition of influential leaders, the National Playing Fields Association – now Fields in Trust – was created with a visionary purpose; to ensure every community had access to parks, playgrounds, playing fields and green spaces.

Over the last hundred years Fields in Trust has protected thousands of spaces across the country including 4,000 sports pitches, 1500 playgrounds and 1200 parks. That’s 9 million people who will always have a place to play within a 10-minute walk of home.

These important spaces within our communities are still under threat and continue to be lost often impacting the most disadvantaged in our society who already have the least access to green space. We must fight to protect our parks and playing fields before it is too late.  If we don’t protect them now then where will future generations run, walk and play?