Fields in Trust

Fields in Trust is a British charity set up in 1925 as the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA), by Brigadier-General Reginald Kentish and the Duke of York, later King George VI, who was the first president, which protects parks and green spaces and promotes the cause of accessible spaces for play, sports and recreation in British cities and towns.

As well as campaigning to protect playing fields and open space, Fields in Trust legally protects the King George's Fields, 471 public recreation grounds set up as a memorial to King George V.

The charity was set up in 1925 as the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA), by Brigadier-General Reginald Kentish and was founded by the Duke of York, later King George VI, who was the first president. This royal link continued with Queen Elizabeth II as Patron from 1952 until her death in 2022 and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as President from 1947 until he stepped down in 2013 to be succeeded by his grandson William, Prince of Wales. Prince William became the charity's patron in 2024.

Fields in Trust is a charity incorporated by Royal charter in 1932. The organisation was awarded the Olympic Cup in 1931 by the International Olympic Committee in recognition of its work providing Playing Fields in Great Britain.

The Charity’s affairs are conducted through its Council, which meets quarterly to set the policy of the Association and to oversee its work. It is also linked to many other bodies, and the members of the organisation include local authorities, individuals, playing field associations, schools, and sports clubs. In 1972, Fields in Trust (then the NFPA) supported the Bishop of Stepney, Trevor Huddleston, in denouncing the lack of play provision which had led to the deaths by drowning of two boys who lived in his diocese. This gave the impetus to the Fair Play for Children campaign.

Fields in Trust set standards for playground provision in the UK through the Six Acre Standard, which is widely recognised as a planning tool for local authorities as a basis, when stipulating play area provision for new housing development, and in local play policies. Fields in Trust is one of the agencies represented on the UK Government School Playing Fields Advisory Panel convened by the Department for Education to scrutinise the disposal or change of use of playing fields and school land.

Recommendations on Outdoor Playing Space were first formulated in 1925, soon after the Association’s formation. This was with the intention of ensuring "every man, woman and child in Great Britain should have the opportunity of participating in outdoor recreational activity within a reasonable distance of home during leisure hours". The charity urged all local authorities to adopt a minimum standard of provision of 5 acres (2.0 ha) of public open space for every 1,000 people, of which at least 4 acres (1.6 ha) "should be set aside for team games, tennis, bowls and children’s playgrounds".

Since then, Fields in Trust have kept the recreational space standard under regular review. It now stands as the Six Acre Standard, recommending 6 acres (2.4 ha) per 1,000 head of population as a minimum necessity for space.