SIX parks in the News Shopper area are competing for cash to pay for a major makeover.

By voting for your local park, you can help win one of the grants worth up to £400,000.

Forty-seven of the most needy parks around London are competing for a total of ten awards.

The ten parks which get the most votes will receive the money to make them cleaner, safer, greener, and nicer places to visit.

Launching the competition, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: ‘I urge Londoners to use their vote so the most deserving parks in the capital benefit from these ten hefty prizes.

“This investment will make the capital’s open spaces cleaner, safer, greener and more enjoyable places for Londoners to use.

“Parks provide a free place for families to enjoy time out and often simple improvements such as better play areas and improved lighting can make a real difference in making parks much more attractive and safer for people to use.”

To make voting easier, London has been divided into five sub-regions.

The two parks with the most votes in each sub-region will win the award.

Of the eight parks in the south east London, six are in the News Shopper area.

Avery Hill Park, Bexley Road, Eltham News Shopper: Avery Hill Park 2

The historical park would use the grant to help restore its historic features and improve facilities for visitors, especially young people.

Among the proposed improvements are:

  • restoring the winter garden glasshouse
  • restoring the café, with space for live music
  • a new multipurpose games pitch
  • improving wildlife habitats, especially those by the stream
  • better footpaths and cycle routes

Deptford Park, Evelyn Street, Deptford

The grant could help deliver a masterplan for the park drawn up by the local community, including:

  • a new pergola and shelter
  • new seating
  • improvements to the play area including natural play features, a colourful picture meadow and fruit trees
  • community food growing plots

Maryon Park, Maryon Road, Charlton News Shopper: Maryon Park

The park includes a steep wooded hillside, Victorian parkland, a wildlife area, a geological SSSI and an Iron Age Fort. Plans to improve the park include:

  • improving footpaths and public safety
  • interpretation of the park's wildlife and history
  • improved habitat management
  • opening up the hill fort

Mayow Park, Silverdale, Sydenham

A grant would help to make the park, opened in 1878, more welcoming by:

  • putting new signage at entrances
  • repainting railings
  • restoring the drinking fountain
  • improving the children's playground, with some natural features
  • new multigames pitch
  • improved wildlife habitats
  • putting in new seating and bins

The River Shuttle, River Shuttle from Days Lane, Blackfen, to the Black Prince Hotel, Old Bexley

The straightened channel through Parish Wood Park would use the grant to:

  • develop a better entrance way into the park linked to the River Shuttle walk
  • restore the river to a more natural form
  • develop wild flower meadows
  • improve the woodland management
  • provide new play equipment for children

Penge Parks, Penge News Shopper: BettsPark

Betts Park, Royston Field and Penge Recreation Ground could all benefit if Penge Parks wins a grant. Proposed improvements include:

  • new play facilities for smaller children at Royston Rec
  • adventure play for older children at Penge Rec
  • a BMX and skateboard park and outdoor gym at Betts Park
  • biodiversity improvements to the Betts canal
  • attractive planting and tranquil seating areas in all three parks Register your vote

There are three ways to register your vote:

  • via the website by visiting london.gov.uk/parksvote/vote
  • by post – request a postal vote form by calling 020 7983 4100
  • by mobile phone – text “parks” and your full London post code to 62967. This will automatically vote for the nearest park on our shortlist to that post code in the same borough. If you want to vote for a different park you need to text a full post code close to that park.