According to recent research, running carefree and playing games in the park is Britain’s favorite childhood memory with building a den as second!
 
Love Parks Week takes place 23rd – 31st July and is an annual campaign, organised by parks charity GreenSpace. Founded in 2006, the campaign has grown steadily and is now established as a major event that is celebrated in parks across the country. Each year hundreds of events take place enabling thousands of people to get out and enjoy their parks and help put forward the case for reinvestment.
 
During the summer a number of events will be taking in parks across Rotherham, ranging from rocket launching to grass sledging!
 
NHS Rotherham’s Public Health Specialist Sally Jenks said: “As a parent myself I know how difficult it is to keep children busy and entertained throughout the six weeks holidays. But sometimes we don’t always think of the really simple and free activities we can do with our children like playing football, cricket, skipping or mini beast safaris and just generally running off steam in a green open space like a park.
 
“We know that nearly 40% of children spend less than an hour outside each day and more than 14 hours a week in front of the TV which can lead to a life time’s habit of inactivity and possible ill-health in later years.
 
“We understand that many parents have safety concerns but simple things like joining up with other parents to take turns in supervision would really help.”
 
The Leisure and Green Spaces Department of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council are also running their Mega-Active programme with activities supervised by trained facilitators at a very low cost and some are even free.
 
Cabinet Member for Lifelong Learning and Culture, Councillor Amy Rushforth, said: “Rotherham is blessed with wonderful urban parks, located throughout the borough, including our premier green space Clifton Park.
 
“Add to those our three fantastic country parks - Ulley, Thrybergh and Rother Valley – and the area’s many playgrounds and there’s a whole range of opportunities for people to get out and about this summer.”
 
Did you know?
 

• 91% of people believe that public parks and open spaces improve their quality of life.
• Over 33 million people in England choose to use their green spaces, with around a tenth of the population visiting daily, and over half of us do so weekly.
• Air quality, air temperature, water and flood management, are all kept within manageable limits because of parks and green spaces.
• The more often a person visits urban open green spaces, the less often he or she will report stress-related illnesses.
• A brisk walk every day in your local park, can help to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes by 50%, fracture of the femur by 30%, colon cancer by 30%, breast cancer by 30% and Alzheimer's by 25%.
• Local authorities are not legally required to provide, invest in or maintain public parks and green spaces. 
   

For a free copy of the Mega-Active programme, check it out online at: www.rotherham.gov.uk/leisure

Ref: NHSR11-P43