Revenue generation for London public gardens and parks

Traditionally, public parks have been funded primarily from taxation but have also been pleased to have revenue from other sources, including gifts and tickets (for tennis courts etc). As pressure on public budgets has decreased and demand for outdoor leisure has risen, there is increased reliance on non-traditional funding. In the case of London's Royal Parks agency this now accounts for 50% of expenditure. With the trend likely to continue, there is a need for a well-considered policy context:

1. the principle of free public access to public open spaces must be preserved
2. public parks and open spaces need to be protected from over-commercialisation

Revenue generation can also provide public benefits

1. higher funding levels for public open spaces
2. better matching between the tastes and preferenes of users and facility provision by parks operators

Potential revenue sources for parks, gardens and landscapes include

1. Park and facility usage (ticketing for facility usage and special events)
2. Commercial leases
3. Concessions. The authority provides land in exchange for payments
4. Leagues and tournaments
5. Grant aid from charities and public bodies, including the Heritage Lottery Fund
6. Sponsorship, gifts, legacies and advertising

Garden, park and landscape sponsorship opportunities

As well as sponsoring temporary gardens at the London flower shows, you can sponsor permanent, or temporary, changes to parks, gardens and landscapes throughout London. This can lead to the sponsor having naming right's for a long period of time, as with the example of  the John Madejski Garden in the courtyard of the Victorian and Albert Museum (image below).  See list of sponsorship opportunities, or enjoy the London Gardens Walk and use the time to think of other garden projects for sponsors.

The Fountain Court (image below) at Somerset House was sponsored by Edmond J Safra. He was a Lebanese, Jewish, Brazilian banker who left his wealth to the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation - see plaque on top right of this page.