The Friends of Cuthill Park are celebrating
Love Parks Week with The Big Day on Sunday 22 July.
The event, which brings together The Friends of Hamilton House, Preston Lodge Rugby Club and other community groups, is an opportunity to put forward your views and learn more about planned developments in Prestonpans.
The Big Day takes place upstairs in The Goth, High Street, Prestonpans from 12.30 until 3 p.m.
The
Love Parks Week campaign has always been aimed at raising awareness
of the importance of parks and green spaces, showcasing the benefits
they bring and highlighting the need for continual investment and
engagement. This year the campaign will highlight what a healthy
(quality) green space looks like and will begin to assess the
nation’s parks by encouraging people to give their park a simple
health check.
Jan Barker, Friends of Cuthill Park Trustee, said: "In terms of quality, Cuthill Park scores 40% - well below the standard (70%). However, the Friends, in partnership with East Lothian Council, have already embarked on a programme of improvement which includes the sowing of wildflower areas, planting heritage fruit trees and community bulb planting. We have exciting future plans for the park and would love to have more volunteers - and hear more ideas."
(You can read the Prestonpans Cluster Assessment for East Lothian Council's Open Space Strategy here)
Paul
Bramhill, CEO of charity GreenSpace, highlights the importance of the
campaign: “As the benefits of parks have become more recognised,
unfortunately the future of green space management is at risk. Local
authority budgets are being dramatically reduced and we cannot expect
community groups, that already identify they need more funding,
training and volunteers, to be the only solution. Parks need to be
properly financed to remain healthy – accessible, safe, lush, full
of life, welcoming and a hub of the community. I cannot stress
enough how important this year’s campaign is, please start to think
about the future health of your park.”
