Love Parks Week – a celebration of our open spaces
Love Parks week gets underway tomorrow (Friday 23 July) and Wyre Forest District Council is encouraging residents to do just that!
Wyre Forest has many accessible parks and open spaces spread across the district and the majority of households are in easy reach of one of them!
There are the larger green flag winning parks like Brinton Park with its grassy large lawns, mature trees, play area and splash pad. The formal QEII Gardens in Bewdley with its tranquil fish pond and wonderful collection of unusual trees. The Riverside Meadows in Stourport has large open spaces with the amusements and play areas and even a ‘pocket’ nature reserve.
Some of the council’s parks are well known to the communities they serve but perhaps unknown to the majority. These include Marlpool with its play diggers, Baxter Gardens with its pagoda and the excellent bike tracks at St George’s and White Wickets.
Councillor John Thomas, Wyre Forest District Council’s Cabinet Member for Operational Services said:
“Never have our parks and open spaces been more important than during this pandemic. We have seen park use go up to an all-time high and it has emphasised how they can benefit and hold our communities together.
We have a small team which does an excellent job of keeping the sites, clean, safe and looking good. But we also get wonderful support from selfless volunteers.”
The council is always looking at how it can improve its parks and open spaces. A £2.4 million Heritage Lottery Grant has been awarded to the council for an ambitious project in Brinton Park. It aims to reinstate the heritage aspects of the park and improve its use with new facilities and activities.
Improvements are also planned for Stourport Riverside. There is new play equipment and a new circular path and a wildlife area being developed this year.
Councillor Thomas added:
“We really are very lucky to have so many wonderful parks and open spaces on our doorstep. Next week get involved with Love Parks Week. Take the time to visit a park or nature reserve with friends, family or the dog and just enjoy the benefits these wonderful spaces bring to our lives.”
Visit www.wyreforestdc.gov.uk/parks for more information about Wyre Forest District Council’s parks and open spaces.