New research shows teenage girls are designed out of parks across the North West

CAMPAIGNING charity, Make Space for Girls, is calling for a wider range of play facilities for teenagers and young people after its:- "ParkWatch" report showed that teenage girls are designed out of North West parks, with 88% of those using the most common facilities being boys or young men.

The charity's new report:- "ParkWatch" sets out the scale of the imbalance across the Region for the 1st time, showing that most of the options on offer:- 'for teenagers' in parks: skate parks, Multi Use Games Area (MUGAs1) and BMX or pump tracks2; are almost entirely used by boys and young men.

The ParkWatch project took place over:- 27 May to 29 May 2023, with hundreds of volunteer participants across the UK noting how many teenagers were using the facilities in their local park, and how many were girls. More than 250 counts took place across the country, including:- in the North West, recording more than 1,800 teenagers being active in these spaces.

In addition, Make Space for Girls surveyed the provision for teenagers and young people in 90 Council areas across the country.

Findings from the report included that in the North West:-

• 88% of the teenagers using park facilities provided:- 'for teenagers' were boys and young men.
   

• 95% of the users on MUGAs were boys and young men.
   

• 97% of the park facilities counted were MUGAs, skate parks and BMX tracks: all of which tend to be dominated by boys.

Make Space for Girls is a charity which campaigns for parks and 0er public spaces to be designed with teenage girls in mind. The charity's co-founder, Imogen Clark, said:- "What this research shows is that for every:- £100,000 a Council in the North West spends on a MUGA, is actually:- £95,000 spent on boys, and just:- £5,000 on girls. And there is little else on offer in parks for teenage girls and young women. 89% of the facilities counted by the volunteers were either MUGAs, skate parks or BMX tracks (which have a similar user profile to skate parks). This is borne out by additional research in our report which suggests not only that the spaces and equipment which are dominated by boys make up most of the facilities that Councils provide, but also that this discrimination is often embedded in policy, which all too often specifies that facilities for teenagers should be skate parks and MUGAs. Girls end up with nowhere to go. This impacts their physical and mental health, as well as their right to play. It's a clear case of inequality and something which Councils, as public bodies, have a duty to address."

Rowena Jones, 22, Crewe added:- "Though it might not seem like it, public spaces have been designed by men, for men. The way that many public spaces are currently designed are not inclusive for young women and 0ers who do not fit the common male stereotype, as features of the space are tailored to:- 'typical' male use. This leaves us feeling left out and unable to enjoy the space. There's a constant unsafe feeling when I'm in public spaces, particularly on my own. This really restricts my ability to enjoy a space independently. Too many girls and women have been subject to violence and harassment, and even the simplest of changes, such as more visibility and more lighting are needed." 

Make Space for Girls has produced a set of recommendations as part of the report, which include:-

• Providing a wider range of play facilities for teenagers and young people.
   

• Ponsulting teenage girls to find out what they want to see in parks.
   

• Councils to evaluate their provision and address these inequalities.

Make Space for Girls Co-Founder, Susannah Walker added:- "All too often, the facilities that Councils provide for teenagers are skate parks, fenced pitches or BMX tracks. People have always known that these spaces are dominated by boys, but until now there has been no real data to confirm this. Our report demonstrates just how great the imbalance is and we hope Councils will now take steps to rectify the issue and make play spaces across the UK more open for all."

Aldi pledges £1.4bn investment in the UK: with Merseyside on its list for new stores

ALDI has revealed the areas it wants to create new stores in Merseyside as it invests:- £1.4bn over the next 2 years. In its annual trading update, Aldi said it had attracted around a million extra customers in the past 12 months with a new generation of savvy shoppers turning their back on traditional, full priced supermarkets. Britain's fourth largest supermarket, which opened its 1,000th store earlier this month, is committed to a long term target of 1,500 stores in the UK; meaning it is on the hunt for more locations across the UK.

The areas in Merseyside where it is currently looking for sites include:-

• Aintree.
   

• Kirkby.
   

• Upton.
   

• New Brighton.
   

• Toxteth.

Aldi is searching for freehold Town Centre, edge of centre, and retail park sites suitable for property development. The sites should be able to accommodate a 20,000 sq foot store with around 100 parking spaces. Ideally the location will be near a main road with good visibility and access.

The supermarket will also be investing in the development of new and expanded distribution centres, including:- its new distribution centre in Leicestershire.

Richard Thornton, Communications Director at Aldi UK, said:- "We want to make our great value groceries accessible to all, and to do that we need more stores, particularly in Towns and areas that don't have an Aldi already. The areas we've identified in our latest list are places where there is demand for stores and we are committed to continue investing until we can bring our quality products and unbeatable prices to as many people as possible."

Anybody who has a site that may fit Aldi's requirements should contact:- Info.NationalProperty@Aldi.Co.UK.

For more information on Aldi's nationwide site requirements, visit:- Aldi.Co.UK.