Green Blog
28 July 2011
Charity softball is just one reason to love parks
It gives me sadness, mixed with great pride, to report that your devoted Friends of the Earth softball team were beaten last week by Unicef, at the quarter final stage of the annual non-governmental organisation (NGO) league. So that's the season done for another year and, while I won't miss the packed, sweaty commute to Knightsbridge, I will certainly miss my summer evenings in the park.
It's incredible how many people and activities you can cram into a small bit of Hyde Park - and none are seemingly put off by the prospect of being struck by a softball hurtling in their general direction, or indeed a softballer hurtling in their general direction.
Obviously people love their parks and it's self evident that we need to cherish and protect these oases of green space and biodiversity.
So it's rather nice that as our season draws to a close, I learn that it is Love Parks Week - an annual campaign encouraging people to use and appreciate their parks. Have a look at their website, which suggests a wealth of positive benefits parks bring us. One such benefit is that regular visitors experience fewer stress related illnesses.
So maybe next time I visit a park I'll just go for a wander around, rather than take part in a competitive sport. Having said that, I hear Dulwich Park has free table tennis tables on offer.
Howard Whitehead, Activism Team
© Amelia Collins
Discuss "Charity softball is just one reason to love parks" in our forum