1. We are, for example, pressing for legislation to protect commons and village greens based on the recommendations of the Common Land Forum. The forum, which reported in 1986, included representatives of the associations of county, district and local councils who were also signatories to the recommendations made by the forum for changes in legislation.

2.  Recently, we played a major role in seeing the Countryside and Rights of Way Act onto the statute book.  This will give the public the right to walk, responsibly, on common land as well as mountain, moor, heath and down.  It also amends the law to make it easier to register land as a new green, thereby protecting it.

To support our work in advising and assisting local community groups and individuals in your area in protecting and creating open space.

3. Many of our members are local community groups, residents' associations and amenity societies. We also have many individual members active in protecting open space at a local level. We run an advisory service to assist our members and deal with over 250 cases a year in virtually all parts of England and Wales. Almost certainly we will be assisting groups within your county or district. Each case that we take up costs us on average about £300.

To keep up to date with changes in law and policy affecting open space of all types.

4. In 1994 we ran two seminars on the registration of land as new village greens, and in 1995 we published a comprehensive manual on registration law and procedure: Getting greens registered.

To keep up to date with open space issues generally.

5. Our magazine Open Space is produced three times a year. It includes legal advice and do-it-yourself information, analysis of recent decisions and punchy news-items. A reasonable number of additional copies are available to local authority members at a reduced price - for example, for inclusion in your departmental libraries.

To support our work on public rights of way.

6. The society is unique among organisations in being concerned about all categories of public rights of way and representing all categories of user. We receive copies of all the proposals to alter the routes of paths, and our network of local correspondents respond to these and take up local cases on our behalf. We advise and support individuals and groups in your area in protecting and creating public paths.

To obtain a discount price on our publications.

7. Our book Our Common Land is the definitive work on the law of commons and village greens. Making Space covers the legal and planning protection of all types of open space and gives ideas for community involvement in their protection and creation, and Getting Greens Registered advises on the law and procedure of registering land as a 'new' green.  Our book Rights of Way, a guide to law and practice, is published jointly with the Ramblers' Association and is available from the RA.

To use our advisory service.

8. We can advise on the legal protection and management of open space. Membership entitles you to any of the information sheets available on our publications list and to further detailed advice from our members of staff.

Open space and public paths are vital to the quality of people's lives whether they live in the town or country. Please help to support our work by joining our society.

İOpen Spaces Society, 2001