Ten London parks are about to benefit from a major makeover and one of them could be a park near you.

The Mayor of London is giving ten grants of up to £400,000 to London's most needy parks to make them cleaner, safer, greener, and nicer places to visit. Londoners are now invited to vote for which parks win an award.

Arnos Park is one of those eligible and, as anyone who has tried to use the children's playground or wondered just where the strange discharges in the stream come from will know, it desperately needs the money. To vote for Arnos Park, please go here and forward this link to as many people as you can.

Voting ends at 5pm on 30 January 2009, so vote now.

LAST CHANCE!

As to what the council will do with the money should Arnos Park be one of the winners, here's what it says:

If Enfield Council receives £400k for Arnos Park it will be developing a newly located children’s playground to create challenging and innovative play opportunities.

The council will also be working to bring Pymmes Brook to life by working in partnership with the Environment Agency to make the waterway more attractive. This will be done by creating picnic areas, attracting new wildlife by selective planting, and generally making it easier for residents to enjoy the flowers, trees and wildlife by the waterway.

Work will also begin to restore the park's grand gateway. Lighting will also be installed across the park's main footpath, which links to Arnos Grove underground station. This will improve safety for all park users.

Cllr Lee Chamberlain, the Mayor of Enfield said “I am absolutely delighted to back Arnos Park in the Mayor of London’s Help a London Park initiative.

“Arnos Park has a fantastic history. A small wooded area to the north of the park is all that remains of the once vast Arnos Grove woodlands, and the presence of the rare Wild Service Trees, (Sorbus Torminalis), is an indicator of its truly ancient status.

“In addition, a shallow, circular crater in the ground at the edge of the wood indicates where a summerhouse, known as ‘the temple’, once stood. A dip in the ground within the wood is also evidence of the old course of the New River.

“To help Arnos Park win this £400k you need to vote NOW. Go online to www.london.gov.uk/parksvote and look up Arnos Park. Every vote counts!”