In the 1850s, a group of working men from the factories of Newcastle upon Tyne petitioned the city council for access to some open space so they, along with the people of the Newcastle, could enjoy fresh air, exercise, and recreation away from the heavy industry of the city centre. That petition led to the opening of Newcastle’s first public park in 1873, Leazes Park.

Saturday 23 December marks the 150th birthday of Leazes Park – also known as the ‘People’s Park’ - and to celebrate this special occasion, we want to give the park a present.

Generously kickstarted by Northern Lights Newcastle (https://northernlightsnewcastle.com/) with a £1k donation from themselves and are matching every pound donated by the public thereafter up to £10k, to help us reach our fundraising target of £21,000. With your help, we’re hoping to raise enough money to repair play equipment in Leazes Park. We also want to involve more volunteers in helping us care for this historic green space, giving the park a new lease of life in its 150th year.

Here at Urban Green Newcastle, we work hard to ensure Newcastle’s green spaces are safe, friendly and welcoming places for everyone to enjoy. That includes making sure play areas are safe for children and families. Unfortunately, some of the play equipment in Leazes Park has come to the end of its life and is no longer safe for people to use.

As a small, non-profit organisation, we rely on the support of our friendly sponsors, donors and local communities, who help fundraise to improve the city's green spaces for the benefit of all communities across the city. So whether you’re a daily dog-walker, park runner, commuter, park bench studier or a one-off picnicer, there are loads of great ways you can get involved and be a part of the local Leazes Park community.

Whatever contribution you’re able to give, every little helps when it comes to keeping our green spaces beautiful. If you want to get more hands on, why not to sign-up to one of our volunteering programs, ranging from assisting one of our rangers, to self-led litter picking in the park itself. Just get in touch at: volunteer@urbangreennewcastle.org Even the small gesture of taking your litter home with you makes a HUGE difference!

Thank you for supporting Leazes Park in its 150th year!