21 July 2016
#GFA20
More parks and green spaces than ever will be flying the Green Flag
Award this year - more than 1,600 across the UK.
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by Keep Britain
Tidy, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
From a hospital in Bournemouth, to a crematorium in Chesterfield,
to a shopping centre in Liverpool, all will be proudly flying the
Green Flag Award, for the best parks and green spaces in the
country.
In total, 1,686 parks, cemeteries, universities, shopping
centres and community gardens have met the high standard needed to
receive the Green Flag Award or Green Flag Community Award, the
quality marks for parks and green spaces.
And this year, for the first time ever, an NHS hospital - The
Royal Bournemouth NHS Foundation Trust - has achieved the Green
Flag Award standard, joining recipients Blue Water Shopping Centre
in Kent and Peak Forest Canal in Whaley Bridge.
The Green Flag Awards are judged by an army of more than 700
green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant
sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including
horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community
involvement.
Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: "We are
delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the
Green Flag Award scheme, especially as we celebrate the
20th
anniversary of the Awards.
"All the flags flying this year are a testament to the efforts
of the thousands of men and women, both staff and volunteers, who
work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the
Green Flag Award."
Communities Minister, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth said:
"Parks and green spaces are vitally important to the health and
the emotional wellbeing of our communities.
"That's why we're celebrating 20 years of the Green Flag Awards,
which continue to go from strength to strength in recognising the
significant role that parks play.
"More than 80 government funded pocket parks are starting to
spring up across the country and I hope they apply to fly the Green
Flag once they're in full bloom."
The announcement of the 2016 Award winners comes in the same
week that thousands of people up and down the country are
celebrating Love Parks Week (July 15 to 24), an annual
celebration of our country's fantastic green spaces and the
community groups that bring them to life.
See the full
list of Green Flag Award winners for 2016 here.
Celebrating
Amazing Spaces - 2016 winners brochure