We must safeguard our park for future generations

Published: 18 February, 2011

• THIS week Islington Council met to give its formal approval to a cut of three-quarters of a million pounds to its sustainability budget. That will have an effect on Islington Ecology Centre and Gillespie Park, Islington’s second-largest green space.

The ecology centre has always been a shining example of what can be achieved when the community and the council work together. The centre celebrates its silver jubilee this year with the 25th Gillespie Park Festival.  

The Friends of Gillespie Park are working to keep the park and the centre in council ownership and to protect the park and its services for future generations. We are very clear that we will not help the council to cut Gillespie Park, or to cut services to the park or ecology centre. We are pleased to say that pressure from the Friends and from other residents has already meant that an additional two posts at the centre have been saved.

We know it is important to the new council executive to pursue the “fairness agenda”. In practical terms, that means providing for less privileged people and protecting the poorest and most vulnerable from the effect of cuts. We applaud that aim – and we believe that protecting Gillespie Park and Festival, and the ecology centre, is vital to achieving it.

The park provides a safe and welcoming green space for residents living in overcrowded accommodation, and those in flats without access to outdoor space. That has knock-on benefits for residents’ health, including their mental health, and for tackling childhood obesity.

If people feel safe in the park, they will use it – and that will help to prevent crime, another of the council’s top priorities.

The ecology centre provides education for children in primary schools who might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn about nature.

It stages events for learning-disabled adults, who have the opportunity to run an organic café there on Sundays, learning important life skills and improving their job prospects. The centre runs outreach events in schools, such as birdwatching, again providing opportunities to youngsters that they would not otherwise have access to.

Its staff supervise and work with volunteers who help to maintain and improve the park. This provides valuable opportunities for elderly and retired people and those who are unemployed – and, of course, saves money.

We would like to invite Councillor Paul Smith, the new executive member for the environment, to visit the ecology centre to meet us, and to see the wonderful work that goes on there. We look forward to working together to safeguard this precious resource for future generations.

SUE JANDY
Secretary, Friends of Gillespie Park

• CONSERVATION and the educational work of the ecology centre are under threat, with qualified  and experienced staff facing the loss of their jobs Islington Biodiversity Action Plan also hangs in the balance.   

We urge Islington Council to treasure, protect and preserve the few green spaces we have. We need more nature reserves, wildlife gardens and city farms, not fewer.

We urge that all nature reserves, parks and woods should be preserved and extended, and wildflowers and wild trees grown on community land and wasteland, in schools, colleges, hospitals, clinics, on green roofs of all new buildings and wherever food is grown.

LINDA ROYLES
Cob in the Community
Transition Finsbury Park