My earliest memory of London's great parks is collecting conkers in Green Park aged 9. I knew instantly at that time that no one at school would be able to match my Royal premises-found conkers caked in my Dad's fish & chip shop vinegar.

I moved to London in 2012 for university and quickly became a friend of Hyde Park, running/cycling almost daily to decompress from the Maths lectures at Imperial College I didn't really understand.

In 2020 when COVID shook the world, I spent the majority of my spare time dog walking and running through Richmond park. Fast forward to April this year, I proposed to my now fiancé, by a wonky bench, in the middle of Richmond Park and we are getting married at a venue within Bushy Park next year!

The parks play a huge part in keeping people living in London sane and it is of critical importance (not just for oxygen levels) that they are preserved and can be enjoyed by future generations.

The Royal Parks charity looks after Bushy, Green, Greenwich, Hyde, Regent's, Richmond, St James's and Kensington Gardens.

The charity:

•protects, conserves, maintains and cares for the parks

•promotes the use and enjoyment of the parks for public recreation, health and well-being

•maintains and develops the biodiversity of the parks, including the protection of their wildlife and natural environment, together with promoting sustainability in the management and use of the parks

•supports the advancement of education by promoting public understanding of the history, culture, heritage and natural environment of the parks

•promotes national heritage