Most people who visit our Millennium Green in New Southgate enjoy it very much and our volunteers are often approached by people wishing to express their praise and good wishes. This is heartening after years of work to make it and keep it the way we want.

However, a small number of voices are always saying that it is not used and nobody goes there. Firstly, this is not true; if you speak to Ibby Aziz, who lives locally and is in charge of emptying the bins, he will tell you that people come and sit and walk their dogs on the green all day every day – leaving around two tonnes of litter in the bins every year. Secondly, though it is true that the football pitch has not been used for a while, we will be dealing with that this spring and arranging football matches in due course. The green is intended to be a normally quiet place, with occasional events, in contrast to the busy, active open space next door, which is why it has hedges and bushes so that visitors can find some peace in a quiet corner. It is also a haven for wildlife, with foxes, butterflies and nesting birds. We are busy making a woodchip pathway to help you explore the green and lighting will be installed in a few key areas over the next few years.

Andrew Irvine

Trustee, New Southgate Millennium Green