We once fitted 11 people onto the basket swing!

I am Annie, and I am 11 years old. I really like Bertie Park. I go there almost every day. I find it very calming, and it feels like a safe place to be outside. I like to listen to music, go really high on the swings, and relax there.

As well as going on my own, I hang out with my friends there loads, and we really enjoy it. It is convenient, and there aren’t really any other places to hang out near enough. During lockdown when there was nowhere to go, me and two of my friends went nearly every day. The green space is also really good, we use it a lot to play games such as ‘it’ and have water fights. I personally usually stay in the playground, but the grassy area is very popular with the younger people who go there, such as my brother and his friends. It also has very good blackberries along the edge. The football/basketball/cricket pitch is also very useful, I practised bike riding and over arm bowling in it. Almost everyday after school there would be a football match or some people practising basketball there. The playground itself is also fantastic, with the basket swing and swings almost always being occupied, while the climbing frame is great for dodgeball. We once fitted 11 people onto the basket swing!  

Without it, it would be very hard for a lot of my friends to meet up, as a lot of us can’t or don’t like to go to others houses, and also it would mean there wouldn’t be any outdoor places very locally that children mainly enjoy, so a lot of children would go outdoors a lot less, which would be bad for their mental health.