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Green Flag Award announcement 2010:
Tarvin Community Woodland officially one of the best UK parks
With parks providing the perfect location for families during the school holidays, Tarvin Community Woodland in Tarvin, near Chester, has been recognised as one of the country’s best green spaces with a prestigious Green Pennant Award announced on Wednesday July 28, 2010.
Green Pennant Awards (part of the Green Flag Award scheme) recognise and reward the best community run parks in the country and Tarvin Community Woodland stood out after impressing the judges with excellent facilities including well managed green space, signage and amenities as well as the dedication of the local people.
This year has seen the highest number of awards handed out – a record 1200 Green Flags and Green Pennants across the UK compared to 1,013 in 2009. Green Pennants are awarded to parks or green spaces managed by a community or voluntary group.
Only green spaces that are free to enter and open to the public are eligible to win an award through the scheme, which is run by environmental charities Keep Britain Tidy, BTCV and GreenSpace.
Paul Todd, Manager, Green Flag Award Scheme, said:
“It’s a remarkable achievement that so many parks have successfully reached Green Flag and Pennant Award status this year. The staff and community groups running the parks work very hard throughout the year to ensure their facilities are maintained to a high standard and enjoyed by the entire community.
“As the recession bites and people look closer to home to enjoy the outdoors, the provision of high-quality, free open spaces is of particular importance.”
Councillor Lynn Riley, Community and Environment Executive Member, Cheshire West and Chester Council, said:
“Tarvin Community Woodland is a really fantastic example of what local communities can achieve who are passionate about the people and place where they live. We only need to visit schemes like this in order to see the potential in the 'Big Society'. The Green Pennant is a great recognition of all that this dedicated group has achieved.”
The awards could not come at a better time as GreenSpace’s ‘Love Parks’ week takes place between July 24 and August 1, during which people will be encouraged to enjoy the nation’s parks and green spaces.
The Green Flag Award Scheme is managed by a consortium, comprising Keep Britain Tidy, BTCV and GreenSpace. Known collectively as the Green Flag Plus Partnership, the consortium manages the scheme in England on behalf of Communities and Local Government (CLG) and in Wales for the Welsh Steering Group.
- Green Flag Award recognises well-managed, high-quality green spaces. Any green space is eligible to win this award providing visitors can enter free of charge. Previous winners include parks managed by local authorities as well as those run by community groups and trusts.
- The applications for the Green Flag Awards are judged against eight criteria: a welcoming place; healthy safe and secure; clean and well maintained; sustainability; conservation and heritage; community involvement; marketing; and management.
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