Parks connect us to green spaces - that's why we've invested £1billion in them since 1996

Britain invented the public park. From the Royal Parks of London to Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, they have served as places to relax and unwind since the 19th century. As our towns and cities grew during the Industrial Revolution, so did the role of parks as part of the fabric of our free time.

Our idea that access to nature enhances wellbeing was shared across the world; to Europe, the US and India and beyond. Parks, along with other green spaces, are not just patches of grass. They are the beating hearts of our towns and cities. They help us breathe, think, move, and connect. They are places where toddlers take their first steps, teenagers find space, and older people find companionship and calm.

Parks also cool our streets during heatwaves; soak up floodwater; clean our air. And as the UK experiences hotter summer temperatures, these green spaces have increasingly become an essential sanctuary to escape the heat and take refuge in nature.

Our research shows the restoration and funding of local parks is deeply valued by communities. But parks rarely receive the same recognition afforded to heritage such as historic buildings. In recent years, we've seen a steady decline of public funding for parks, as local authorities face budget cuts that prioritise statutory services.

This has led to a lack of maintenance of public buildings, a loss of cafes and toilets and a decline in the horticulture of the gardens themselves. And this at a time when the population of the UK is increasingly urbanised with 80% of people - almost 58 million - living in towns and cities. Half of Britons alone live in the 11 largest city regions.

Research shows clear inequalities in access to nature with a third of people denied access to good quality green and blue space within 15 minutes of their home. We are aware of this challenge at The National Lottery Heritage Fund and, since 1996, have invested more than £1billion in supporting local authorities, trusts and communities to care for 900-plus parks, as well as historic gardens, cemeteries and other green spaces.

In Scotland, our funding supported restored gardens and glasshouses and a new peacock sanctuary in Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline. In Caledonian Park, north London, we supported the reopening of a 19th century clock tower and the creation of a new heritage centre, cafe and public toilets. In Coventry, the London Road Cemetery has become a place of reflection, biodiversity, and community. In Northern Ireland, the 400-year-old Antrim Castle Gardens were transformed from a neglected and underused park into an amazing outdoor space.

But public funding alone can't do it all. That's why the new Nature Towns and Cities programme is so important. It's about reimagining our urban green spaces. It's about finding new ways to fund, manage, and animate parks. From carbon trading and biodiversity net gain to community-run cafés and events, we need to unlock new income streams and partnerships.

Nature, Towns and Cities, led by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Natural England and National Trust, will enable 10 million more people to enjoy nature and green spaces close to home. We're bringing together a coalition of environmental and heritage bodies through ambitious new projects.

We'll be working with 100 towns and cities across the UK to help them become great places to live, work and invest, putting nature and green space at the heart of communities by 2035.

At least five million more people will gain access to green space a short walk from home, and one million children will have the opportunity to play outdoors every day. Thousands of green spaces will be improved. We'll also help parks attract new sources of investment, ensuring they are future proof whilst balancing the needs of locals.

We also aim to bring back the joy, the colour, the life. Floral clocks, bandstand concerts, boating lakes, paddling pools, deckchairs and cafés were once the sights and sounds of a thriving public space. Ambitious partnerships are bringing some of these back. Funding is part of the picture, but it also takes partnership, local engagement, imagination, ambition and graft.

A great example in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is the Parks Foundation, created with our funding in 2015. The council maintains sites, while the Foundation brings them to life with family-friendly events, volunteer programmes and activities that reconnect people with nature. It's a partnership that works.

This summer, millions will benefit from the sanctuary, community and play that local nature offers them - a greener future, for everyone, is a brighter one.

• Eilish McGuinness is Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund