Council calls on Rugby to Love, Respect and Protect its parks

This year's Love Parks Week launches today (Friday) and has issued a rallying cry across the country to Love, Respect and Protect parks and green spaces.

The Love Parks plea coincides with the end of Covid restrictions and the start of the school summer holidays, with parks and green spaces in Rugby ready to welcome thousands of visitors.

But the council has called on residents to help avoid a repeat of the problems which plagued the borough's parks in the summer of 2020 - with sharp increases in littering and anti-social behaviour.

Chris Worman, Rugby Borough Council's parks and grounds manager, said up to ten tonnes of extra rubbish was collected from the borough's parks and green spaces every day last summer - putting pressure on council staff and spoiling parks for others.

"Last summer the mindless actions of a small minority often had a negative impact on the vast majority of visitors to our parks and green spaces," Mr Worman added.

"Love Parks Week promotes the important role parks play in our communities, but also highlights the need for everyone to play a part in keeping our parks clean and safe."

Research shows parks and green spaces offer a wealth of health benefits, from improving mental health and wellbeing to providing environments to explore nature, exercise, relax and play.

Love Parks Week, organised by Keep Britain Tidy, has highlighted simple steps everyone can take to respect and protect parks:

•  put your litter in a bin - if the bin's full, take your litter home
• keep your dog under control, and bag and bin your dog's mess
• be friendly and share space with others
• respect park workers
• do not disturb wildlife or damage habitats
• do not light fires

The Mayor of Rugby, Cllr Deepah Roberts, visited Caldecott Park to launch the borough's Love Parks Week celebrations and lend her support to the week's aims.

Cllr Roberts, who chose 'respect and protect the environment' as the theme for her Mayoral term of office, said: "Our parks and green spaces were a lifeline for many during lockdown, a safe haven to explore, exercise and enjoy the fresh air while so much of our day-to-day lives was disrupted by the Covid restrictions.

"This summer promises to offer plenty of opportunities to visit the borough's beautiful parks, and I can only endorse the message of Love Parks Weeks - to love, respect and protect our green spaces in order to ensure we can all enjoy them."