About the Cotswold Water Park Society
Keynes Country Park
Keynes Country Park was designated in 1969, making it one of the first Country Parks to be created under the 1968 Countryside Act.
Key Facts
- Designated a Country Park in 1969
- Receives 250,000 visitors annually
The Society has transformed Keynes Country Park into one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area attracting 250,000 visitors a year. Since 1996 the Society has carried out several improvements at Keynes Country Park. These include the construction of the Millennium Visitor Centre which won the Queen's Award for Sustainable Development. The beach has been extended and footpath improvements have been made. Improvements have also been made to the childrens play areas. The Ranger Team have also improved wildlife habitats.
History
Keynes Country Park was designated in 1969, making it one of the first Country Parks to be designated under the 1968 Countryside Act. It was also in 1969 that Gloucestershire County Council acquired Keynes Country Park on behalf of the Cotswold Water Park Joint Committee.
The Joint Committee established the Ranger Service in 1981 with financial assistance from the Countryside Commission. Keynes Country Park then became the base for an area Countryside Management Project which took responsibility for visitor management and the development of facilities for informal recreation.
In 1996 the constituent authorities of the Joint Committee recognised the need for an independent organisation to take over the management of Keynes Country Park. This lead to the establishment of the Cotswold Water Park Society in 1996. The Society is an independent non-profit making environmental body with charitable status.
Funding
To manage Keynes Country Park the Society receives core funding from the Cotswold Water Park Joint Committee (CWPJC) which covers 36% of the running costs. Additional money is obtained from entrance fees, membership subscriptions, hiring out BBQ pitches and income from leaseholders.
Since 1996 the Society has been awarded the Green Flag for managing Keynes Country Park as an open public space. The Society was also the first organisation to receive the European Blue Flag award for an inland bathing beach.
