Our guest post today from our campaign supporter API is about why they’re encouraging everyone to take part in Love Parks Week.
Love Parks Week is a great opportunity to remind ourselves of what makes a quality park so valuable to the community it serves.
Parks and playgrounds are a chance for people of all ages to get outside and enjoy natural surroundings as well as giving children access to spaces in which to play. These can range from a grass field where they can run around freely, playground equipment which allows children to exercise and wooded spaces to climb trees.
The one thing all these spaces have in common is the need for investment of both time and money. Both local authorities and the communities who use and enjoy parks are equally responsible for the facilities and maintenance of their play spaces. Littering, vandalism and decline are all symptoms of an un-loved and under-used park so it is important for communities to value and use their local parks – or to face the prospect of losing them.
As part of Love Parks Week, GreenSpace are asking people to contribute a Park Health Check survey highlighting what they like best about their local parks and play areas. Make sure you get involved and contribute your opinion; what play equipment you enjoy or sharing great days out you’ve had. If there are things you dislike about your parks, talk to your local authority or other members of the community, recognise what needs to be done, a new playground, refurbishing an old site or expanding play opportunities – together you can make a change and raise standards to make your park a cleaner, brighter space.
As a trade body committed to promoting play and raising standards in playground provision, API are passionate about encouraging children to use their local parks and green spaces. Not only does play fulfil an essential role in child development and combatting rising levels of obesity, it also gives children a chance to engage more fully with nature. Several API member companies are planning to hold outdoor events in their local destination parks throughout the summer in support of the campaign.
There’s more to Children’s Play than just the physical aspects you highlight in the blog but it’s a step on from the previous thinking; that all children needed from their parks and green spaces was a fenced area full of brightly coloured equipment.
In the not so distant past all a park manager had to do was splash out on an equipped site and they had delivered on their part of providing for childhood needs. Now we have mention of tree climbing (in most LAs anyway) and that the whole park is a place to play in.
Yes, many still have a long way to go but perhaps this can be seen as a sign that park management attitudes are gradually moving in the right direction?
Let’s get “green space playability” or whatever you want to call it into the next Green Flag judging criteria alongside the other essential elements.