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Prince William today launched a nationwide campaign to prevent thousands of playing fields being sold off by granting them royal approval.
The prince will become a patron of the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge, which is aimed at slowing the decline of playing fields and giving millions more children the chance to play outdoors. The scheme is to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
Members of the public will vote for their favourite playing fields and 2,012 will be designated as “Queen Elizabeth II Fields” over the next three years. Playing field owners will sign a legal deed with Fields in Trust, the organiser, to grant protection to the area beyond the existing planning laws.
Outdoor space for recreation has dwindled in recent decades and the lack of green space is acute in London, where sports participation is well below the national average. There were 1,500 playing fields in the capital in 2006, but a big split between inner and outer London.
William said: “The sad truth is that, over the years, thousands of playing fields have been lost to development and many more are under threat today. Being able to play outdoors is a basic right of childhood.”
The voting process will start next year and votes can be cast at qe2fields.com
