Be safe in our parks

Family Picnic

Wed 14 Jul 2021

Whilst out and about enjoying our parks, we would like to remind visitors to be safe, respect the park to ensure everyone can LOVE Derby Parks and open spaces. 

Here are a few tips to ensure we all LOVE DERBY PARKS #LOVEPARKS:

  1. Barbecues are not allowed in parks. 
    We do not allow the use of barbecues in our parks as they can damage the grass and remain hot for a considerable time after use. If left unattended, they can be a hazard to other park users and to the wildlife. 

  2. Be safe near water 
    With the warmer weather, it may be tempting to enter lakes, rivers or ponds across our parks. 

    Risks to consider in open water include:

    • The shock of cold water can make swimming difficult and increase the difficulty of getting out of the water
    • Lack of safety equipment and increased difficulty for rescue
    • The height of the fall or jump if tombstoning
    • The depth of the water – this changes and is unpredictable
    • Underwater objects and hazards may not be visible
    • Obstacles or other people in the water
    • Strong currents can rapidly sweep people away
    • Uneven banks and river beds
    • Water quality, e.g. toxic algal blooms and industrial/agricultural pollution

    Do not put yourself, your family, Derby Parks staff, Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service and/or Derbyshire Constabulary at risk.  

    See the Royal Life Saving Society family water safety toolkit.

  3. Take litter home 
    More than two million pieces of litter are dropped in the UK every day, it can take years to degrade, causing harm to wildlife and habitats, also spoiling the enjoyment for other visitors. Use a bin for your rubbish and if you cannot find a bin or it is full, take your litter home with you. Be a litter HERO #LitterHeroes

    Visit the Keep Britain Tidy webpage for more information on the impact litter has on our community and parks. 

  4. Keep your dog under control and pick up your dog poo
    There are vast expanses of open space in Derby for you and your dog to enjoy, please ensure you keep your dog under reasonable control and be pick up dog poo, bag it, bin it!  Place in the bins provided or take home with you. Keep your dog in sight at all times, and 

  5. Please keep to any marked paths and park areas
    Our parks and open spaces are located within residential areas, so we ask everyone to respect our neighbours and keep to paths and parkland during your visit. 

  6. Covid Step 4 guidance for meeting outdoors (from 19 July)
    All remaining limits on social contact (currently 6 people or 2 households indoors, or 30 people outdoors) will be removed and there will be no more restrictions on how many people can meet in any setting, indoors or outdoors.

    Social distancing rules (2 metres or 1 metre with additional mitigations) will be lifted. You should continue to consider the risks of close contact with others, particularly if you are clinically extremely vulnerable or not yet fully vaccinated. More advice at the Government's Covid-19 website

  7.  Let's all be nice, say hello and give a smile, while we all share the park open space. 

The Countryside Code has recently been updated and includes advice and guidance on how to share our great outdoors safely, without breaking any rules or inconveniencing others. The 'Respect' campaign highlights some of the areas covered in the Code. 

Find out where are our Derby Parks and see what events are coming up. Then get social on Facebook DerbyParks, Twitter Derby_parks or Instagram _derbyparks and tell us why you #LOVEPARKS