As Love Parks Wandsworth launches today we’ll be inviting the Wandsworth community to join us in celebrating the Borough’s wide array of green spaces, the benefits green space can bring to the community and how you can get more involved in yours locally. As the most greenspace-rich Borough in inner London, Wandsworth’s parks are significant spaces in the community.
Brought to the borough by Enable and Wandsworth Council for an entire month, Love Parks will follow four themes with exciting, educational (and free!) events in the community’s greenspaces. The themes explore what happens across our greenspaces, including how we look after them, how they support biodiversity, how they allow us to be active and how they can connect people to each other, each theme culminates in an interactive activity.
Councillor Judi Gasser, Cabinet Member for the Environment says, “Love Parks is all about how we can protect and enjoy our fantastic parks and green spaces. We’ll be running loads of workshop to help people understand biodiversity as well as free fun events so people can get creative and active. It’s all part of our work to create a greener, more sustainable borough, bring communities together and support local peoples’ physical and mental wellbeing.”
On 26th May, following a week of themed online action, Enable will be taking part in a Staff Litter Pick at Wandsworth Common. We are all involved with looking after and caring for local green spaces – and look forward to collaborating in this hands-on activity. Following this, at 1pm, we will be leading a public walk and talk about how we look after Wandsworth’s Green Spaces, which is open to all. Meet us outside the Skylark Café at 1pm to take part.
On 31st May, we are holding a biodiversity day at King George’s Park. With an exciting visit from The Shire Horses and Butterfly Conservation, this will make for a fascinating day, including a butterfly walk and talk, plant identification workshops, planting sessions and art sessions. Drop in any time from 10pm to 2pm to see the horses or get involved with the planting and arts sessions. Meet us at 11am for the butterfly walk and talk, and at 12pm for the plant identification workshop – the meeting point will be our gazebo in the park behind Southfields Academy.
On 10th June, we will be giving you the chance to #GetActive on Tooting Common from 9am –12 as we explore themes of being active outdoors and the benefits of making the most of your greenspaces for health. There will be a free Zumba class, free boxing class and free yoga class. There is a huge amount of evidence that access to quality parks and green spaces greatly improves our health and wellbeing.
To conclude Love Parks month, in collaboration with Summer In Furzedown, we will be holding a community workshop inside Furzedown Recreation Ground Pavillion from 11am – 3pm on 17th June. There will be the opportunity to input on the upcoming refurbishment by designing your dream recreation ground, and to get involved with The Great Big Green Week.
