Prince William appeared in Nottingham to open Vernon Park, which now has protected status under Fields in Trust's control, as the charity's green site rescue campaign gathers momentum...

Fields in Trust fights to protect outdoor spaces that are vital for children and adults alike in the promotion of sport and healthy activities.

Successive governments have promised to protect outdoor sports and play fields however the promises have consistently been broken and the loss of these areas across the country has been staggering.

Between 1992 and 2005 more than four out of 10 school and community playing fields in England were lost says the National Playing Fields Association...

In 1997 New Labour promised to stop the loss of playing fields to developers however hundreds of applications to build on playing fields were subsequently approved.

The number of planning applications to build on playing fields in England actually doubled over the last decade...

The charity Fields in Trust has been battling the problem since it was launched in 1925.

Playing fields, sports fields and other green sites for outdoor activity find themselves under threat in both economic boom and downturn as an easy way of making money for the seller and buyer, usually sold to housing or business developers...

Councils quite often support schemes to promote outdoor sports, conservation, etc; while simultaneously approving the sale of green sites at the mere sniff of interest from a developer.

The attraction lies in exactly the reason why the sites are so important to communities in the first place; clean and open and natural they do not provide the hassles to developers of building on brown fields sites.

However, the loss of such sites can be devastating to the communities who use them as a focus of free, non-commercial and healthy activities...

With their loss comes a proven loss of benefits to communities to air quality, recreation, fitness, community involvement, etc; especially in urban areas where they are literally an oasis of green for communities.

Fields in Trust says planning applications to develop playing fields more than doubled between 1999 and 2009, rising from 625 up to 1322, illustrating the extent of the problem.

However, the charity is campaigning to buy up sports pitches and patches of green land to protect them, including woodlands, nature spots, children's play areas and parks as part of its current Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge...

The Duke of Cambridge, spoke at Vernon Park, Nottingham, this week as the scheme celebrated its latest success...

He said: "This marvellous charity provides people of all ages, up and down the country, with the space to play sport, keep fit and generally get outside and enjoy themselves..."

William was celebrating The Queen Elizabeth II Fields initiative, and opening Vernon Park as the latest Queen Elizabeth II Field...

Prince William's involvement follows the Queen who has been Patron of Fields in Trust - formerly The National Playing Fields Association - for all 60 years of her reign; and The Duke of Edinburgh, who has been President for 64 years‬.

The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge is the charity's current flagship UK-wide programme to save green spaces for play and recreation... Such places also often provide a vital home for wildlife...

A wide range of sites are eligible to become Queen Elizabeth II Fields.

With the support of the public and its partners the charity already protects 1281 spaces across the UK...