Support for Friends of Parks

At the Leisure, Arts and Communities Committee on Monday 8th June there was a report on supporting Friends groups in Dundee's parks. My speech to the committee is below.

'This is a good report and it highlights the excellent work done by the Friends Groups which already exist. Dundee can rightly be proud of her parks but we should be clear that they are here for the people of the city -they are the people's parks.

Involving local people in influencing the management of the parks is good for the council. It gives the citizens of Dundee what they want. It also demonstrates public involvement which is important to Beautiful Scotland and to the Green Flag criteria.

I am sure that you will want the city to continue to compete through the Bonnie Dundee group in the Beautiful Scotland and hopefully Britain in Bloom competitions and also that more Friends Groups will help the council achieve more Green Flags for our excellent parks and the Green Flag should be the ambition for all our major parks.

Finally I would want to place on record my appreciation of the efforts of everyone involved in Friends Groups across the city and express the hope that as a result of this policy more can be formed.'