Historic programmes
From the purchase of land in our early years, to the development of our unique Deeds of Dedication, here’s how we’ve been protecting precious parks and green spaces for almost 100 years.
King George V Playing Fields
Our very first Patron was HM King George V. When he died in 1936, the King George's Fields Foundation was set up in his memory "to promote and assist in the establishment of playing fields for the use and enjoyment of the people". Since then, the Foundation has supported the legal protection of almost 500 such spaces as a wonderful testament to the King’s passion for accessible green space. Today, you can spot these protected spaces by looking for the special plaques that mark their status as a King George's Field.
Queen Elizabeth II Fields
We marked the Diamond Jubilee of our patron Queen Elizabeth II by protecting 1,392 parks and green spaces throughout the UK. This included a whole range of special outdoor places, including children's playgrounds, bicycle trails, woodlands, nature reserves, and coastal paths. We are grateful to Asda and the Asda Foundation for making this important work possible through their incredible £4m investment.
Centenary Fields
The Centenary Fields programme was launched in 2014 by our Patron HRH The Prince of Wales (then President of Fields in Trust). In partnership with The Royal British Legion, we are proud to have protected 232 parks and green spaces across the UK to honour the memory of the millions who gave their lives in World War I. Thanks to this work almost 1.37 million people now live within a ten-minute walk of a protected Centenary Field – a fitting legacy to mark 100 years since World War I. Explore our interactive resource to look back on the impact the Centenary Fields project has delivered.
Active Spaces
Active Spaces was a UK-wide programme funded by the London Marathon Foundation to protect 51 parks and green spaces for good. Working with landowners, we did far more than just project their green spaces, transforming them into vibrant hubs for physical activity and community recreation - promoting active, healthier lifestyles within some of the UK’s least active communities.
Did you know...
In 1927, the Carnegie UK Trust gave away £200,000 to protect and improve playing fields across the UK. That’s the equivalent of £10 million today!
Owain Glyndŵr was the last native Welshman to hold the title of Prince of Wales. To mark his 600th anniversary in 2004, we protected another 30 green spaces across Wales.