Editing Richmond Park (section)

===Friends of Richmond Park===

{{Infobox organization
|name         = Friends of Richmond Park
|image        = Friends of Richmond Park logo.jpg
|image_border =
|size         =  160px
|caption      =
|abbreviation = FRP
|formation    = 1961
|status       = [[registered charity]]
|registration_id  =  1133201
|purpose      = To conserve and protect Richmond Park and its peace and natural beauty for the benefit of the public and future generations, and to advance public education about the park
|headquarters = [[Richmond, London]]
|location     = England, [[United Kingdom]]
|region_served =
|membership   = 3,700
|language     =
|leader_title = Key people
|leader_name  = Roger Hillyer, Chairman
|main_organ   = ''Park Life'' (printed magazine, published twice a year)
|parent_organization =
|affiliations =
|num_staff    = None
|num_volunteers = 300
|budget       =
|website      = {{URL|https://www.frp.org.uk/}}
|remarks      =
}}

'''The Friends of Richmond Park''' (FRP) was founded in 1961 to protect the park. In 1960 the [[speed limit]] in the park had been raised from 20 to 30 miles an hour and there were concerns that the roads in the park would be assigned to the main highway system as had recently happened in parts of [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]].<ref name= "Pollard and Crompton 2-3">Pollard and Crompton, pp. 2–3</ref> In 1969, plans by the then [[Greater London Council]] to assign the park's roads to the national highway were revealed by the Friends and subsequently withdrawn.<ref name= "Pollard and Crompton 9">Pollard and Crompton, p. 9</ref> The speed limit was reduced to 20 miles an hour in 2004.<ref name= "Pollard and Crompton 33">Pollard and Crompton, p. 33</ref>

In 2011, the Friends successfully campaigned for the withdrawal of plans for open-air screenings of films in the park.<ref name="Auto6L-10">{{cite news|url= https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/9190284.richmond-park-cinema-plans-withdrawn/|title= Richmond Park cinema plans withdrawn|work= Richmond Guardian|author=Paul Teed|date= 11 August 2011|access-date=8 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="Auto6L-11">{{cite web|url=https://www.frp.org.uk/friends-oppose-park-screenings/|title=Friends oppose Park screenings |publisher= [[#Friends of Richmond Park|Friends of Richmond Park]] website|date= 19 July 2011|access-date= 3 October 2020}}</ref> In 2012, the Friends contributed towards the cost of a new Jubilee Pond, and launched a public appeal for a Ponds and Streams Conservation Programme in which the Friends, the Richmond Park Wildlife Group and [[Healthy Planet]] have been working with staff from The Royal Parks to restore some of the streams and ponds in the park.<ref name="Auto6L-13">{{cite web |url= http://www.stmgrts.org.uk/archives/2012/05/new_jubilee_pond_in_richmond_park_to_be_created.html|title=New Jubilee Pond in Richmond Park to be Created|publisher=[[St Margarets, London|St Margarets]] Community website|date=11 May 2012|access-date=5 June 2012}}</ref><ref name="Auto6L-14">{{cite news| url= https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/9699149.jubilee-pond-to-open-in-richmond-park/ |title=Jubilee pond to open in Richmond Park|author= Christine Fleming|work=Richmond Guardian|date= 10 May 2012|access-date= 15 July 2023}}</ref><ref name="More Ponds">{{cite web | url=https://www.frp.org.uk/work-starts-on-more-ponds/ | title=Work starts on more ponds | publisher=[[#Friends of Richmond Park|Friends of Richmond Park]] | date=27 September 2012 | access-date=6 February 2025}}</ref>

The Friends run a visitor centre near Pembroke Lodge, organise a programme of walks and education activities for young people, and produce a quarterly newsletter. The Friends have published two books, ''A Guide to Richmond Park'' and ''Family Trails in Richmond Park''; profits from the books' sales contribute towards the Friends' conservation work.<ref name="Auto6L-8">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/article/10356|title=New guide book to Richmond Park|publisher=[[London Borough of Wandsworth]]|date=28 March 2011|access-date=15 July 2023|archive-date=15 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715215320/https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/article/10356}}</ref>

The Friends of Richmond Park has been a charitable organisation since 2009.<ref name="50 years">{{cite news |url= http://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/8927743.Friends_group_to_mark_50_years/|title=Friends of Richmond Park to mark 50 years of protecting the green space |author=Christine Fleming |work=Wandsworth Guardian |date=25 March 2011|access-date=2 April 2012}}</ref> It has 3,700 members, is run by approximately 300 volunteers<ref name="Achievements">{{Cite web |title=What we did in 2022: Achievements and performance during the year |url=https://www.frp.org.uk/our-achievements/ |access-date=10 September 2023 |website=Friends of Richmond Park}}</ref> and has no staff.<ref name= "50 years"/>  Broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough, former Richmond Park MP Baroness [[Susan Kramer]], broadcaster [[Clare Balding]] and radio and TV presenter and former professional tennis player [[Annabel Croft]] are patrons of FRP.<ref name="Croft">{{Cite news |date=28 February 2025 |title=Tennis star and television presenter Annabel Croft joins Friends of Richmond Park as patron |url=https://twickenhamtribune.com/PDF/Twickenham%20Tribune%200434.pdf |access-date=1 March 2025 |work=Twickenham and Richmond Tribune |pages=12}}</ref><ref name="AutoQO-4">{{cite news |url= http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/8949352.Sir_David_steps_up_at_park_party/|title= Sir David Attenborough steps up as Friends of Richmond Park marks golden anniversary|author= Christine Fleming|work= [[Richmond and Twickenham Times]]|date=3 April 2011|access-date= 8 September 2014}}</ref> The chairman, since April 2021, is Roger Hillyer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact us |url=https://www.frp.org.uk/contact-3/ |access-date=8 December 2022 |website=Friends of Richmond Park}}</ref>