Get involved with your local park

Volunteer with our community rangers 

Volunteering in an Islington park is a great way to meet new people, improve your physical and mental wellbeing, gain practical skills and give back to your local community. Everyone is welcome and no previous experience is necessary.

You will join our community rangers and help with jobs like pruning shrubs, creating bug hotels, planting, cultivating soil, composting, litter picking, weeding and sweeping.

There is no need to book – just turn up with outdoor clothing, gloves, and sturdy shoes or boots. We provide the tools, equipment, protective items, and safety instructions.

Dates

Meeting points

• Caledonian Park, at the Clock Tower
• Canalside Square, at the main entrance
• New River Walk at the Pump House, Lundy Walk entrance
• Packington Square, at the main entrance
• Spa Fields, meet at park office, by the picnic benches

• St John's Garden, Benjamin Street at the main entrance

• Whittington Park, at the park keeper's building
• Wilmington Square, at the main entrance

Corporate volunteering

We can help you organise a volunteering session for corporate groups. Email greenspace@islington.gov.uk.

Join a Friends of Parks group 

Friends of Parks groups are residents who work together to improve a specific park. They do this through a range of activities, such as organising community events, managing habitats, educating school children, carrying out gardening days, and getting involved in management decisions about the park. 

All Friends of Parks groups are part of the ‘Friends of’ forum which meets regularly to share ideas and discuss matters affecting parks at a more strategic level.

Learn what it’s like being a member of a Friends group by reading Umma’s and Les’s story on IslingtonLife. 

List of groups

To find out more or join, get in touch with one of the groups: 

• Arlington Association
• Friends of Barnard Park:
  • email friends@BarnardPark.org
• Friends of Caledonian Park:
  • email friends@CaledonianParkFriendsGroup.org
• Friends of Duncan Terrace and Colebrooke Row Gardens
• Friends of Fortune Street Park
• Friends of Gillespie Park
• Friends of Graham Street Park:
  • email GrahamStreetPark@gmail.com
• Highbury Fields Association:
  • email queries@HighburyFieldsAssociation.org or membership@HighburyFieldsAssociation.org
• Newington Green Action Group:
  • email info@NewingtonGreen.org
• Friends of the New River Walk:
  • email contact@CanonburySociety.org
  • phone 020 7359 8315 (leave a message for Jack Lambert)  
• Friends of Paradise Park (opens Facebook page)
• Friends of the Parkland Walk:
  • email FOParklandWalk@gmail.com
• Friends of Rosemary Gardens (opens Facebook page):
  • email FriendsOfRosemaryGardens@gmail.com 
• Friends of Wray Crescent Open Space

Start your own 'Friends of' group 

We can support to start your own 'Friends of' group. If you're interested, please email greenspace@islington.gov.uk or text 'Greenspace' and your message to 80800. 

Other ways to get involved

There are lots of other events and activities taking place in Islington’s parks and green spaces that can help you keep active and connect with your local community.

• Caledonian Park regularly hosts free events.
• Gillespie Park and Ecology Centre run regular events and guided walks. 
• Many of Islington’s parks have sport facilities, such as football pitches, basketball or tennis courts, and outdoor gyms. Find out more about sports in parks.
• Search the Find Your Islington directory for events led by community groups.
• The Garden Classroom run fun sessions in our parks connecting children and families with nature.