RUGBY  Borough Council has joined the national Love Parks Week celebration by  calling on residents to play a part in keeping the borough's parks clean and  green this summer.
 
 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."
‍