NHDC Councillors share the Love Parks Week message!

PR Date: Thursday, 22 July 2021 - 3:15pm

Councillors from North Herts District Council (NHDC) have teamed up with volunteers from Letchworth’s Friends of Norton Common (FoNC) to celebrate Love Parks Week 2021.

Councillors and FoNC volunteers rolled up their sleeves and worked together to cut back brambles alongside the wildflower meadow on Norton Common Local Nature Reserve. They also helped to dig out dead tree roots – all part of essential ongoing habitat management work to care for the site. 

Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg, Leader of the Council, Councillor Steve Jarvis – NHDC Executive Member - Environment, and Letchworth Ward Members Councillor Daniel Allen, Councillor Amy Allen and Councillor Sean Prendergast, became honorary FoNC members for the day, helping to highlight different ways we can look after and love our local parks and green spaces.

Love Parks Week (23 July - 1 August) is a national campaign run by Keep Britain Tidy, encouraging people across the UK to enjoy their local parks, and to take good care of these precious areas for both people and wildlife to enjoy.

Unfortunately, parks and nature reserves across North Herts have seen a huge increase in littering in recent years. Since 2014, the volume of litter removed from parks in the district has increased by 128%. The issue of littering has reached a peak since the start of the pandemic, which has encouraged more people to use local parks but in turn, increased the amount of litter being dropped in parks and nature reserves.

John Baskerville, Secretary of the FoNC committee said: “It is great to have some of our Councillors joining us at one of our conservation working parties. Norton Common is at the heart of our local community, and our Friends of Norton Common group is made up of local volunteers who regularly give their time to help care for the park. We find it very rewarding and urge everyone to get involved in caring for their local parks to help ensure the future of local green spaces for future generations to come.”

Cllr Steve Jarvis, NHDC Executive Member – Environment said: “Parks and nature reserves are there for everyone to enjoy, but we all need to be responsible when visiting them, by either putting litter in a bin or by taking it home. Volunteering some time to help care for them is a great way to help keep our parks and natures reserves in good condition. What a great experience we all had today, really getting hands-on helping to look after the Common. Thank you to FoNC for giving us the opportunity to volunteer with them”.

To find out more about parks and nature reserves in North Herts visit our parks, nature reserves and woodlands webpage. 

For more information on the Friends of Norton Common and their activities, including future details of their annual Open Meeting on 13 September, visit their Facebook page.