Leading up to the school summer break, the learning team were tremendously busy.

At West Ham Park alone, sessions exploring habitats, orienteering, eco-art, the stone age and the Blitz were delivered to over 2,000 local primary-aged children.

Further programmes, a maths trail and nature wellbeing sessions will be added in the new term.

With invaluable help from volunteers, the team were able to offer pond dipping, minibeast hunts and eco-art sessions to families every Tuesday throughout August in the Wildlife Extension Garden.

Children caught dragonfly nymphs, mayfly nymphs, newts and newt tadpoles, beetle larvae, water boatmen, leeches and pond snails.

For some, the wildlife pond was a wonderful new discovery and one which proved very popular over the summer break.

East London Advertiser: Oliver Sells thanks volunteers who worked with West Ham Park over the summerOliver Sells thanks volunteers who worked with West Ham Park over the summer (Image: Archant)

Over 100 children from Newham and Tower Hamlets young carers, the refugee council and charity AAA, who have experienced difficult or challenging experiences in their lives, have benefited from wellbeing and respite activities such as shelter building and fire lighting at West Ham Park.

A Nature Learning programme, developed with partners Odessa school, has continued into the summer holidays, giving children with special educational needs the opportunity to visit the Wildlife Extension Garden with their families.

Thank you to everyone involved.

A lot of you have been asking about the playground. I’m pleased to say that the successful contractor has been appointed and work will begin, as planned, in autumn.

The park will display notices about closure and update the website as this exciting project progresses. There is still time to donate to the West Ham Park (Charity) playground at cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/west-ham-park/donate-to-us.

I hope you enjoy all the park has to offer over the autumn.