Prince William and former England footballer Jill Scott have starred in a film warning that green spaces, once lost, are "gone forever." The collaboration, filmed at Windlesham Field of Remembrance in Surrey, coincides with Fields in Trust marking its centenary and launching an ambitious mission to legally protect Britain's parks and playing fields.
The Prince of Wales emphasized the vital importance of protecting community green spaces. «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,» he said in the film. «You need to have that in as many communities as you can.»
William highlighted the permanence of losing these areas: «The green-space protection part is really important, because once a green space goes, it's gone forever.»
Scott, who took on the role as the trust's president from William in the summer, shared how local parks shaped her football career. «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 former Lioness said.
She recounted a conversation that illustrated the personal significance of these spaces: «I remember chatting to a small boy who said, 'if they take away my park, they take away my morning with my dad'.»
Centenary mission targets
Fields in Trust aims to legally protect at least 75% of green spaces across Britain, ensuring every home is within a ten-minute walk of a high-quality park. The charity has already protected 3,000 green spaces permanently.
The initiative addresses a significant access gap. Nearly half of Britons do not live within a ten-minute walk of public playing fields, while one in three children under nine live over ten minutes from their nearest playground.
Helen Griffiths, chief executive of Fields in Trust, stressed the urgency of legal protection: «As we mark 100 years of Fields in Trust, this film beautifully captures why our mission still matters more than ever today.»
She warned: «But the reality is that without legal protection, they can disappear forever.»
Royal family connection
William noted the long-standing royal involvement: «The family connection with Fields in Trust goes way back, 100 years.» His great-grandfather King George VI founded the organization in 1925 when he was Duke of York, originally as the National Playing Fields Association.
Prince Philip served as president for 60 years, while Queen Elizabeth II was patron for 70 years. William now holds the patronage role.
The film shows the pair acting as rival football coaches during a local school match, with William leading the green team and Scott the white. «She's going to take this really seriously. We have to beat Jill,» William said competitively.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
