The Haringey community gathered in Duckett’s Common on Saturday to celebrate the borough’s wonderful parks and greenspaces.
The Haringey Parks Summit is an annual event which brings together residents, community groups, park user groups, Friends of Parks , council officers and councillors to discuss important issues facing greenspaces in the borough, share ideas and experiences, and take part in a range of fun activities.
This year’s summit also saw the official launch of Haringey Council’s new Parks and Greenspaces Strategy, which sets out ambitious plans to make all the borough’s parks fully accessible and inclusive, as well as playing a vital role in Haringey’s response to the climate crisis.
Cllr Emily Arkell, Cabinet Member for Culture, Communities and Leisure, said:
“It was wonderful to join residents at the Haringey Parks Summit. As a council we are committed to working in partnership with our communities, and events like this are vital in ensuring that the voices of our residents are front and centre as we get underway with our ambitious plans for transforming parks and greenspaces in the borough.
“Seeing people from across Haringey at the event really brought home how important our parks and greenspaces are to our residents, and the important work that needs to continue to make sure that all of these spaces are fully accessible and inclusive for our diverse communities.
“It was also a real pleasure to meet and speak with Friends groups representing parks in every corner of our borough. Friends groups play such a key role in making sure that our parks are at the highest standard and meet the needs of all park users. I look forward to continuing to work together with them as we implement our new strategy in the coming years.”
Attendees took part in engaging discussions on topics such as making parks more welcoming, increasing biodiversity and introducing more intergenerational projects in Haringey’s green spaces. This included panel discussions featuring many local partners who shared their experiences and expertise and inspired some rich conversations.
The summit heard from speakers including Sara Tofiq, PhD researcher at UCL PEARL, who shared her findings on what parks and greenspaces mean to teenagers, and social researcher Nyma Haqqani who talked about good practices of UK friends groups in relation to ethnic minority inclusion and participation in urban green spaces.
A wide range of participative activities took place throughout the day, including a tree walk from arboriculturalist and conservationist Russell Miller, a sustainable craft workshop from Sewn Together, jewellery making with The Trove Market, and tips on how to create your own wildlife friendly garden by the Conservation Volunteers.
