Prince William has joined former Lioness Jill Scott in a brand new film, where they discuss the urgent need to safeguard an important part of local communities
Prince William has warned that green spaces could be “gone forever” unless they are protected in a candid chat with Jill Scott. The Prince of Wales, who is patron of the Fields in Trusts, has appeared in a brand new video with the former Lioness to highlight the need to safeguard an important part of local communities.
Fields in Trust, a charity which is dedicated to protecting parks, playgrounds, playing fields and green spaces, is celebrating its centenary year and has recently appointed former footballer Jill as president. In the clip, which was filmed earlier in the autumn as they strolled through Windlesham Field of Remembrance, Surrey – one of 3,000 green spaces now protected forever by Fields in Trust – they reflect on the importance of having access to outside space.
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Prince William with former Lioness Jill Scott (Image: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
William, who took over the patron role from his late grandfather Prince Philip, warns: “Having access to fresh air, a bit of peace and quiet, greenery, is so good for our minds and bodies. You need to have that space. You need to have that in as many communities as you can.
“The family connection with Fields in Trust goes way back, a hundred years. The green space protection part is really important, because once a green space goes, it’s gone forever. What Fields in Trust have done for many years is make sure that everyone has somewhere as amazing as this on their doorstep.”
Meanwhile, Jill tells the prince how having access to a local park was essential to her future career as she grew up in Sunderland. She admits: “A lot of my childhood was just going to the local park playing football…. without green spaces, I probably would never have gone on to kind of play football at any level.”
The pair enjoyed a stroll around the Windlesham Field of Remembrance in Surrey (Image: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
She goes on: “I remember chatting to a small boy who said, ‘if they take away my park, they take away my morning with my dad’.” On their walk, the pair then come across a local school’s football match, with each of them acting as rival coaches – with Jill’s team emerging as winners.
She adds: “I believe so much in having green spaces. I want every child just to be able to walk out of their front door and go and play in the park.”
It comes as Fields in Trust say that nearly half of Brits do not live within a ten-minute walk of a public playing field, while one in three children under the age of nine live over a 10-minute walk from their nearest playground.
The chairty is now marking its centenary with an aim to legally protect at least 75 per cent of green spaces across Britain, so every home is within a 10-minute walk of a high-quality park.
William and Jill with football playing youngsters (Image: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
Helen Griffiths, CEO of Fields in Trust, said: “As we mark 100 years of Fields in Trust, this film beautifully captures why our mission still matters more than ever today. As people go for walks in parks, or children play on local pitches during the Christmas holidays, it’s easy to assume these spaces will always be there.
“But the reality is that without legal protection, they can disappear forever. It’s so important that every community has easy access to green spaces that are fundamental to our health, happiness and sense of belonging.”
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