PICNICS, nature trails, sunbathing, football, feeding the ducks or just plain running about – there really is no limit to what can be done at a park.

To celebrate our wonderful open spaces, people in Dorset are being urged to hold an event in their local park, or even just attend one, to support Love Parks Week 2011.

The national initiative, now in its fifth year, is being launched this week, with organisers GreenSpace aiming to double their numbers by gathering one million people into parks and green spaces across the country, showcasing the free benefits on offer.

Paul Bramhill, chief executive of GreenSpace, said: “Love Parks Week encourages friends, families, the young and old, to come together and enjoy what our parks and green spaces offer.“People must never forget that these spaces provide many opportunities for friendships, education, health, exercise and simple play and fun. Let’s remind and celebrate their meaning, get behind Love Parks Week.”

Mike Heckford, treasurer for the Friends of Poole Park, is certainly backing the event.

He said: “Parks, wherever they are in the country, are a focal point of the town. It’s somewhere you can go and, generally, nobody will trouble you. Especially a large park, if you go there and walk about it’s healthy, certainly in this area the air quality is good and it’s a healthy place to be.

“Poole Park is quite quiet and there are facilities for children with two children’s play areas and the steam railway, plus the boating lake and the bowls and the miniature golf.

“You can walk through the park and it’s quite a tranquil place. It’s called the people’s park and it’s used by the residents of Poole to support their charities and there are many events which go on there. It’s just a lovely place to visit.”

Michael Rowland, parks policy manager for Bournemouth Borough Council, said a significant amount of work had gone into improving and creating new parks and play areas in Bournemouth in the last few years, including the recently opened Springbourne Gardens.

“We are proud that ten parks in the borough have been awarded Green Flag status and are considered some of the best in the country,” he added.

“Love Parks Week is a perfect opportunity for Bournemouth residents to get out and about and enjoy what our parks have to offer.”

Last year more than 800 events were registered across the country for Love Parks Week, providing opportunities for nearly half a million people to get together outdoors and make the most of what our parks offer.

To find out more about organising an activity for this year’s event, which takes place from July 23 to 31, visit loveparksweek.org.uk.