Kingston celebrates internationally recognised awards for two local green spaces
Canbury Gardens and Churchfields Recreation Ground awarded coveted Green Flag Awards as they are officially recognised as two of the country’s best parks.
Kingston is celebrating after Churchfields Recreation Ground is awarded a Green Flag Award and Canbury Gardens retains its award for a second year.
The accreditation is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces, and is testament to the hard work and dedication of those who care for them so that visitors and residents alike can enjoy them.
Councillor Ian Manders, Portfolio Holder for Climate Action, Biodiversity and Planning Policy said:
“It is a great honour that two of our local greenspaces have been nationally recognised for their quality and the important role that they play for local people.
“I’d like to thank the Friends of Canbury Gardens, Canbury Gardens Working Party for the outstanding effort they have made to improve these parks, and to the contribution of our grounds maintenance partners, Glendale."
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE, said:
“I would like to congratulate everyone involved at Canbury Gardens and Churchfields Recreation Ground on achieving a Green Flag Award.
“Canbury Gardens and Churchfields Recreation Ground are vital green spaces for communities in Kingston to socialise, enjoy nature, for children to play safely and it provides important opportunities for park users to improve their physical and mental health.
“We know that staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that it maintains the high standards of the Green Flag Award, everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.
“It is important that our free to use spaces are maintained to the Green Flag Award standard, making them accessible for all members of the community while ensuring the environment is protected.”
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
Notes to editors
The Green Flag Award Scheme is run by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful, Keep Wales Tidy and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.
Any green space that is freely accessible to the public is eligible to enter for a Green Flag Award. Awards are given on an annual basis and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Flag Award status. A Green Flag Community Award recognises quality sites managed by voluntary and community groups. Green Heritage Site Accreditation is judged on the treatment of the site’s historic features and the standard of conservation.
Keep Britain Tidy is a leading environmental charity. We set the standard for the management of parks and beaches, inspire people to be litter-free, to waste less and live more sustainably. We run campaigns and programmes including the Great British Spring Clean, Eco-Schools, Love Parks Week, Buy Nothing New Month, Eco-Schools, the Green Flag Award for parks and green spaces, the Blue Flag/ Seaside Awards for beaches and blue spaces, and the Green Key for sustainable tourism and hospitality. To find out more about Keep Britain Tidy, our campaigns and programmes visit www.keepbritaintidy.org.
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