We love our parks!
Parks and green spaces are perfect places to get out in the fresh air, take some exercise, have a relaxing picnic with friends, or just take time out from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
This month we're supporting Love Parks Week organised by parks charity GreenSpace, so why not take the opportunity to discover the great outdoors on your doorstep?
Our borough is home to more than 18 parks including four Green Flag Parks which have been given a national award for their quality.
As well as the beautiful trees, landscaping, flowers and wildlife to see, you can also combine a visit to the park with one of our events – many of which are free and include walks, workshops, fun activities for children and music and theatre productions.
And we’ve organised some special events during Love Parks Week which takes place between 14th-22nd June, to entice you to one of our local parks. The passport challenge, is for children to discover more about parks during a week of activities at a different park every day. The events run from 6pm-8pm and there will be fun games and activities on a different animal or plant each day. There’s a free swim voucher for each child who gets involved.
Parks make ideal venues for your community events too – simply complete our 'Use our parks for your events application form' to apply.
Look out for our Park Rangers in their blue uniforms when you visit a park - they’re in charge of looking after them and can also give you advice about how to help us care for them and the events going on there. If you're interested in helping our Park Rangers care for our parks, and would like a say about what happens in them, why not join your local Friends of the Park or Park Action Group – call the Park Rangers on 0121 704 8000 for more information.
All of our parks should be accessible to everyone, however it can be difficult to decide depending on your own personal circumstances whether or not a park is suitable for you.
That’s why we’ve worked with Disabledgo – a new internet service, to review some of our parks so that you have the information that you need to decide on whether to visit one.
As well as our parks there are also five Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in the borough, 11 Local Nature Reserves and more than 250 locally important wildlife sites, which all contribute to biodiverisity in the borough and nuture and conserve local plants, trees and wildlife.
For more information about Love Parks Week and the events that are being held across the country, visit: http://www.loveparksweek.org.uk/