Luckily dogs don’t much mind the rain – and their owners are a hardy bunch too – so frequent showers and wet ground did little to dampen determination to win prizes at this year’s Paws in the Park event. Linda spent the afternoon helping on fundraising stalls and admiring the pooches – her favourite dog show category, “best ears” – and Hannah and Laura joined in time to see the final rosettes being handed out, followed by a big team effort to dismantle gazebos and tidy Cator Park before darkness fell.

The original date for this popular event was cancelled due to September’s extreme heatwave so for the Friends of the Park organisers, the recent heavy rainfall is yet another reminder of the impacts of climate change – making their ongoing efforts to enhance local green spaces even more important. Currently the Friends are coordinating fundraising by residents and businesses to bring a Tiny Forest to Cator Park, a project in which 600 native saplings are due to be planted early next year, with help from GoodGym volunteers. For information and to donate, see the Cator Park Tiny Forest crowdfunder. Enthusiasm for the project is so high locally, there is even a Tiny Forest beer brewed in Penge by Southey especially to help meet the fundraising target!