London Council has recently warned that boroughs' spending on parks has fallen by 18% in the past four years (BBC news). As an organisation that operates out of many parks, of course we had something to say about it!
London Councils represents 32 boroughs as well as the City of London. It fears the public parks will fall into private hands if they are forced to sell off land due to the budget cuts. This would mean fewer green spaces would be accessible to the public.
But the role played by parks and open spaces across the capital – and the UK – is so important. It’s a place to relax from the busy life of the city, somewhere for children to play and learn, and a home for wildlife.
TCV works with local councils to provide such places for communities. Our volunteers help to maintain their local parks, which not only benefits the landscape, but the volunteers’ health and wellbeing too. Our Green Gyms are just one example of this in action. Read more about the effects here.
Following the comments from London Councils, the BBC and London Live wanted to hear our thoughts.
Lizzy Nazer, Schools Project Officer at Railway Fields, told the BBC that she originally joined TCV in order to give back, since she had received so much from TCV herself, and highlighted how special Railway Fields is to the community.
Nadia Ward, Green Gym Project Officer, and Matthew Simpson, one of our brilliant Green Gym volunteers, gave a similar account to London Live. They talked about the work they’ve done, and the community and inclusivity aspect of Green Gyms.
View the LondonLive footage here.
If you’d like to support our work and make sure places like London Fields and Green Gyms exist in our communities, please donate here. Or if you’d like to get involved in our projects in London, see where is closest to you here.