There are many ways to get involved in your local community. If you enjoy nature and are considering volunteering, park users groups might be the best option for you. This groups provide support to the parks contractor in the day-to-day management of the park and they work in several specific support areas: development of specialist areas, reporting defects, organising events, litter clearance days, promotion of the park, and liaison with the contractor staff. 

Not all the parks in our borough have a park users group (the list can be found here: https://www.lewisham.gov.uk/getinvolved/environment/park-user-groups/Pages/default.aspx) but most of them do. The membership is open to anyone and you just have to get in touch with them. You can contact Jessica Kyle ([email protected]), the Nature Conservation Officer, to find out whether your local park has a park users group and how you can become a member. 

What exactly do these groups do? Since they are independent organisations, the action areas vary from group to group. For example, The Friends of Beckenham Place Park, apart from organising events for people of all ages, produce a newsletter to inform the members about the actions carried out and the new challenges they face. For its part, Friends of Albion Millennium Green group maintains a blog that contains articles to highlight the environmental and social importance of this green space. 

Your support will certainly be appreciated. Just get in touch with your local park users group to find out how you can help.