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Gillespie Park celebrated 20 years of bringing the natural world to the heart of Islington at the weekend.

The nature reserve, one of three in the borough, is a haven for wildlife close to the Finsbury Park rail­way tracks and is home to 240 different kinds of plants and 94 bird species. Visitors on Sunday enjoyed a bug hunt, pond-dipping, a live performance by a children’s music group and a penalty shoot-out with Arsenal staff.

Originally railway land, the park was established by Islington Council in 1981 when it took a 10-year lease, and residents and schoolchildren helped with landscaping and planting.

The Ecology Centre was opened in 1993, the same year a successful community campaign warded off the threat of the entire site being used for housing. The seven-acre park was officially designated a nature reserve in 1996.

Sue Jandy, chair of the Friends of Gillespie Park, said: “Thank goodness it was saved from development in 1993, as we all need green spaces in a crowded city. It was a battle worth undertaking, even if it took many years of tremendous effort.”

Gillespie Park is managed entirely by a pool of around 20 volunteers, who between them put in 2,000 hours a year of free labour.