I visited the picturesque Birmingham park that people mistake for a much leafier area

It is certainly not without it's issues but for many, Summerfield Park in Winson Green is a welcome green space

Winson Green is constantly changing. It is the home of City Hospital, Birmingham Prison and countless building projects which bring people into the congested area through new road layouts.

Sandwiched in the heart of the bustling ward is Summerfield Park. After the onslaught of rain, the locals are happily out walking when I visit, jogging, dog walking and playing badminton in the sunshine.

They are spilling in and out from entrances on City Road, Dudley Road, Selwyn Road and Icknield Port Road and the famed Harborne Walkway.

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No doubt, the area has deep-seated issues centred around crime and poverty. Some of the homes bordering the park have been converted into HMOS and there is a transient, vulnerable population.

Crouched by one tree close to the Gillot Road are a couple who seem keen to conceal their activities. Group of travellers also target the park, settling in for a few days at a time.

Dumped by the entrance sign off City Road is a pile of mouldy bread, chapattis, rice etc. But the rest of the park is looking relatively pristine on a Tuesday morning.

During the day, it's heavily used for sports and recreation and by people who make use of the marked paths. Grandmother-of-three Audrey Wright, 55, said: "I used to live in Edgbaston and as children we used to come down and play. They had a climbing frame and I played football here.

"It's used a lot. People have celebrations and the youths play football. "They need more benches and flowers. It's a cut-through for me to get to the Harborne Walkway. It's peaceful. I have taken beautiful pictures here and people ask 'is that Sutton and I say no, it's Winson Green.'"

Nazia Parveen, 44, said: "I come every day for a walk and I used to bring my kids here when they were little. I do a 30-minute loop.

Crispen Kanyasa, 61, said: "I like it. It's green and neat. My favourite section is the large trees along the path. It depends on the time but during the day, it's safe."

Tirath Singh, 54, is having a stroll after checking his former house which overlooks the park. He said: "You get travellers who park up and sometimes their 4X4s go across the cricket pitch.

"It's improved. There's decent table tennis and courts. In the day it's OK."

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Child poverty is soaring in Birmingham and without urgent change, will only get worse. Having worked with charities and community groups, BirminghamLive is campaigning for the following changes to start to turn the tide:

1. End the two-child benefit cap
2. Provide free school meals to every child in poverty
3. Create a city “aid bank” for baby and child essentials
4. Protect children’s and youth services
5. Create permanent, multi year Household Support Fund and give more Discretionary Housing grants
6. Set up child health and wellbeing hubs in our most deprived neighbourhoods
7. Appoint a Birmingham child poverty tsar
8. Provide free public travel for young people

You can see why in more detail here.

Read our full report Birmingham: A Child Poverty Emergency here.

What you can do to help.

Dog walker Ann Richards, 62, said: "It's OK, sometimes you have to be careful. There's friendly people and I have seen some suspicious people hanging around like druggies.

"The stuff left by the entrance at City Road causes rats and mice. I've seen six or seven rats in one go - they shouldn't do that."

Katie Stock is lead pastor at Christ Church Summerfield off Gillot Road. She said: "It's a clean, green space and it gets used a lot after school.

"It's used by those who've retired for exercise. You get older couples walking around which is very sweet. It's a beautiful park."