Love Parks Week 2025 - Do you have any accessible green spaces near you?

Rosie_Scope

Love Parks is a week-long celebration highlighting the vital role green spaces play in boosting the health and wellbeing of residents and communities. 

Spending time in nature is well known to be good for your wellbeing. So having access to green spaces where you can relax and enjoy the views can be really important. Especially if you live in a city or somewhere where outside space is limited.

I'm very lucky that my local park is quite well-maintained and peaceful. There are public toilets and a cafe, and a smooth path round the main routes. It's a lovely place to spend some time and I feel very grateful to have somewhere like that so close to where I live.

How often do you spend time in your local park?

Do you find it's an accessible place for you? What would make it more accessible?

You can check the Love Parks events map to see if there are any events happening near you:

Love Parks 2025 | Keep Britain Tidy

Albus_Scope

We always try to take the dogs to the park when we can, it's lovely and accessible, even down to the gates to get into the kids play area. 😁

SaraC_Scope

I live in a welsh town that used to be a busy mining community. It conjures images of coal and dust and that's exactly what it was like.

However nestled behind the town hall is one of the most beautiful parks I know. Created around 1703, there are 150 acres of an expansive green haven, with trees, ponds, walkways and even a ski slope. It's the best place to visit on a Sunday afternoon to walk the dog or escape into nature.

The sense of peace you experience when you walk through the gates, you would never know you were in a busy town.

Bluebell21

We have a park within walking distance. Used to go with Toby.

WelshBlue

I'm / we're lucky, countryside all around the town, green spaces in the town … 8 miles north the seaside, 12 miles west more beaches

Sort of place the locals take for granted really. Sadly I no longer really take advantage of any of it anymore for one reason and another

Amberpearl

Oh yes

A local park and a huge country park and the beach

Grumpy1314

Parks - Open Spaces and Countryside are something close to my heart 💚 spent five years working for my local council as a Gardener & Estate Ranger in Oldham & Saddleworth. I have always loved those jobs as being in the fresh air has been in my veins due to living in Kirkby Lonsdale in 1995 to 1999. I was always happy just being behind a lawnmower in summer, planting flower beds, doing Winter Maintenance etc was always good for the old Mental Health. With me living in a small one bedroom flat, I’m going to try and get some pots and plants to rediscover my love of gardening.

JessieJ

I'm very lucky to live in a city that has 5 parks in the centre, they roll one into another, with roads that split them. The trees & plantings are beautiful & it's hard to believe you're in a city centre. There's a cafe, mini golf & all is wheelchair accessible. It truly is a wonderful place to go, on sunny days folk are enjoying them picnicking, playing & sunbathing or just wandering around, kids can play in the fountain too. Plus, there is a dog park in one of the parks that Hattie drags me to, literally. It is totally fenced & gated, although, you can't see the fencing for the different clematis, honeysuckle & passionflowers. It is a lovely place to socialise dogs & there are picnic seats there for the owners to have a gab & there are several regulars. I go through them all with Hats about 3 x a week if I'm okay, she loves it & it does give me a boost. I always thank the gardeners & mowing gangs, as I absolutely love it there & they keep them all beautiful. There's also a large common not far away, I haven't ventured there since I've had Hattie, not needed to.

Rosie_Scope

It's so good to hear how many of you have access to lovely parks ☺️

That sounds like such a peaceful job @Grumpy1314! Some little pots sound great, do you know what you want to grow yet?

Grumpy1314

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1052519#Comment_1052519

I’m looking at getting a raised bed with a trellis, three pots inside. Going to grow some bee friendly plants. Have a couple of roses, climbing jasmine and some hardy perennials. I want to try and go for a group of plants that will flower in each season.

luvpink

There are some really beautiful parks and gardens here in Cornwall.

Amaya_Ringo

Yes, although they're conspiring to build on them :/

But we have a nature reserve and a full nature park within walking distance of here as well. And water birds. So we have a lot of nature :)

Rosie_Scope

That sounds gorgeous @Grumpy1314, the bees and bugs will love it 🐝

Oh no @Amaya_Ringo! That's not good! Would they be leaving some green space or building on the whole park? I know housing is important too, but hopefully some space can be left for the community to enjoy.

@luvpink I used to have family in Cornwall, so we spent a lot of time there when I was little. There are definitely some stunning parks and green spaces around, it's a beautiful place.