Park Keeper Service
The London Borough of Hackney employs one of the few remaining Park Keeper Services within London. They are the Borough's representative to the public and are the first point of contact for members of the public in all of Hackney's main parks and open spaces, covering an area of 318 hectares (the largest area of green space found within any inner-London borough). The Park Keeper Service is one of the key assets to Hackney's Parks Department.
There are eight major parks in the London Borough of Hackney, comprising a total area of 268 hectares, and 50 minor parks and open spaces that comprise an area of 50 hectares. The major parks include Hackney Marshes, Millfields Park, London Fields Park, Hackney Downs Park, Springfield Park, Clissold Park, Haggerston Park and Shoreditch Park.
The Keeper Service permanently staffs each of these major parks with member of staff during daylight hours throughout the entire year. At most of the main parks there is located a Park Keeper Office that is the main contact point for members of the Public. At these points, the Keepers deal with all enquiries and complaints brought to them, provide contact to the emergency services and have information on conservation activities that occur within Hackney's Parks.
The Keeper Service is responsible for ensuring that each park and open space is clean and safe for use for all members of the community. They do this by cleaning and removing all green areas of all litter, including the facilities found within each park (toilets, changing rooms, playgrounds etc). The Keepers also regularly patrol the parks, inspect all essential equipment (for example, playground equipment) and where necessary carry out basic maintenance, ensuring that each park and open space is safe to use by the public and by other members of staff.
The Keeper Service is responsible for ensuring that there is a minimum level of antisocial behaviour and a ensuring a limitation to the amount of vandalism and misuse that may occur in parks. The Keeper Service is responsible for the opening and locking of the smaller parks within the Borough, and these facilities are regularly patrolled and cleaned. The Keepers are fully qualified in the administration of First Aid and are responsible for dealing with all types of emergencies that may arise. In parks that provide sports facilities the Keepers are responsible for the allocation of keys and changing rooms, where applicable, and the general day-to-day running of the facilities. The Keepers also provide assistance to organisations that run events within the parks.
Page updated: 24 Jan 2012
.