To celebrate the Mayor of London's National Park City Festival Week, Enfield Council and its partners at Thames21 are hosting a free, fun day at Albany Park with river-themed activities.
To celebrate the Mayor of London's National Park City Festival Week, Enfield Council and its partners at Thames21 are hosting a free, fun day at Albany Park with river-themed activities.
The festivities on Saturday 27 July will centre around the river, with Enfield Council due to restore up to 350 metres of Turkey Brook within the park and to create a flood storage area which will protect over 200 local properties.
Once the landscaping work is done, leading waterways charity Thames21 will run a series of community and educational events in the park so residents and schoolchildren can plant up the river channel to make it attractive for both local people and wildlife.
Festival-goers will be able to enjoy free football and fitness activities, a bungee run and bouncy castle, along with wildlife-themed activities and river arts and crafts. Members of Enfield’s watercourses team will be on hand to explain the environmental and social benefits of the proposed works in the park.
This major new rewilding project means a concrete wall containing Turkey Brook would be removed and the river will be reshaped to meander through the park. The rewilded river meadow area will soak up water when it rains, slowing down flood water and protecting homes downstream.
The event is just one of many taking place around the Capital between 20 and 28 July for National Park City, London’s largest free celebration of the great outdoors, supported by the Mayor of London and the National Park City Foundation.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Guney Dogan, said: “Our event in Albany Park will be a fantastic opportunity to learn how Enfield Council is creating new wildlife habitats and reducing flood risk while opening up the park to more people in Enfield and beyond. We are proud to be part of the Festival Week as our borough has some wonderful outdoor spaces that are imperative to supporting the health, wellbeing and social interactions of our communities.”
Emma Harrington, Thames21’s Volunteer Team Leader said: "We’re delighted to be involved in this river rewilding project which will bring more nature back to Enfield, enhance the park and improve the health of the local Turkey Brook stream and its wildlife.
"Thames21 is working across London to help people find their local rivers, help rewild them and improve their health. Restoring more of London’s 600km waterway network will help our city adapt to climate change impacts such as flooding and drought."
Last year, Albany Park received a grant of nearly £350,000 for the river restoration from the Mayor of London. The project will also include improvements to footpaths and cycleways. There are plans for a community hub, seating, enhancements to the existing woodland area and new entry points to help connect surrounding neighbourhoods to Albany Park.
There will be lots of chances to volunteer at the park with Enfield Council and Thames21 once the work gets started. If you can’t make it on 27 July follow Enfield Council on Twitter @EnfieldCouncil, Facebook @EnfieldCouncilUK or sign up to our newsletters at www.enfield.gov.uk/enewsletters for up-to-date information. You can follow Thames21 on Twitter and Instagram, @Thames21.