The Trust is committed to providing a balanced and diverse range of community and commercial events for the benefit of the public, providing us with much needed income to regenerate the park.
There are many areas of the park that can be rented or leased for everything from weddings to festivals. We offer reduced prices for community-based events. Contact us to find out more…
There are many areas of the park that can be rented or leased for everything from weddings to festivals. We offer reduced prices for community-based events. Contact us to find out more…
Our motto is: “Every penny that we raise in the Park stays in the Park” and all our commercial event revenue is ring fenced to support the park.
Commercial event revenue was the Trust’s first source of income and it remains one of our most important. This initial infusion of revenue capitalised the Trust and provided confidence that our business model would succeed, allowing us to begin to sustainably fund our operations. This allowed the Trust to rent an office, hire staff, and take other necessary steps in establishing a full-time, professionally-managed organisation. Importantly, it also allows us to begin the handover process from London Borough of Bromley, with a mission to improve the park, as outlined below.
The Trust is committed to responsible, sustainable financial stewardship to ensure that we will have the ability to maintain the park to a high level in times both good and bad. The Trust currently estimates that to increase the current level of investment in the park and ensure that the park is maintained to the appropriate standard will mean doubling and possibly tripling the amount that is currently being spent in the park.
In addition to paying for the day-to-day maintenance needs of the Park, the Trust needs to raise a significant sum to maintain its financial reserves in case of unplanned reductions in income. As we all know, economic downturns can and do happen, and when they do we want to ensure that we have the resources to continue maintaining the park to a high level regardless of economic conditions. We never want to be in a position where we have to decrease the level of maintenance in the park due to having limited resources, or to let new or existing investments in the park fall into disrepair because we do not have sufficient financial resources to maintain then.
The Park has a rich history as a film location - regularly doubling for New York's Central Park! We're always happy to hear from filmmakers with an interest in filming in the Park: please contact us and let us know what you have in mind.
The Trust maintains an events policy, which broadly outlines the basis for our events in the park. We will continue to refine this policy as we continue to learn from experience.
For events contracted by the Trust, event producers are required to complete a thorough risk assessment to identify, mitigate and avoid risks to the park’s sensitive environment and heritage features. Event planning documents must incorporate the recommendations of these assessments, which are prepared by expert independent consultants.
Because event proposals are very competitive, the exact revenue from each event is commercially confidential and cannot be shared without violating commercial contracts. However, the substantial income that is raised is the subject of statutory reporting to Companies House and the Charity Commission and is published in our Annual Report and Financial Statements. The overall annual income is sufficient to enable the Trust to assume management of the Park from the London Borough of Bromley and make much needed improvements in the Park.
Some small-scale improvement projects will be delivered relatively quickly. Others, like larger infrastructure improvements, will take longer. All improvements will be limited by the resources available to the Trust, and we want to be sure that we are prioritising those improvements that are most needed in the Park. We conducted a “Have Your Say” survey in early 2022 so that park users could help us determine how to best spend event revenue in the park. That survey identified the toilet renovation as the most needed park improvement, and so we have committed to renovate the existing toilet block and support Bromley in installing a Changing Places toilet. We will continue to use the results of that survey and to continually engage with the community to understand the needs of park users.
It is the responsibility of event promoters to restore the Park back to the same condition that it was in prior to the event, and at their own expense. A thorough site assessment is completed before and after all events to ensure that the Park is restored to the same condition.
The speed of reinstatement of grassed areas (eg, reseeding) can depend on the weather, temperature, and time of year, and we work hard to ensure that reinstatement occurs as quickly as possible, and that areas are fenced off for only as long as they have to be to allow reseeding to be successful.
Yes. The Trust has already invested or committed to spending commercial event revenue into the Park. This includes:
Commercial events have also provided direct, free, local benefits. Free community events were provided by both of the major music promoters that we have contracted with. These events would not be possible without the revenue generated by the commercial events.
Crystal Palace Park has always been a place for events, going back to its creation as the home of the Crystal Palace. Recent feedback from park users has identified a varied events programme as desirable within the Park, and the Trust has contracted with commercial event organisers to accomplish this.
We understand that not everyone will enjoy or welcome every event in the park, but we hope that by working hard to offer an appropriately balanced, diverse programme of events we can offer something that is of interest to everyone.
Commercial events allow the Trust to generate income which can be reinvested back into the park in the form of improved maintenance, restoration projects and other improvements. In addition, commercial events allow the Trust to support community events with lower hire charges and other forms of support.
Since 1 April 2023 the Trust has been responsible for the management of all events in the Park. In addition to commercial events, the Trust produces free activities for the benefit of the Park's wider community base, and collaborates with organisations including the Park's various Friends groups as well as local charities and community organisations to enable a range of other community-oriented events.
