The Green Flag Award is the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales. The award scheme began in 1996 as a means of recognising and rewarding the best green spaces in the country. It was also seen as a way of encouraging others to achieve the same high environmental standards, creating a benchmark of excellence in recreational green areas.
Winning a Green Flag Awards brings excellent publicity. Both the media and the public are becoming increasingly aware that a site flying a Green Flag is a high quality green space. We realise that all green spaces are different and this diversity is welcomed. Each site is judged on its own merits and suitability to the community it serves.
Awards are given on an annual basis and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Flag status. Throughout the land the owners, managers and staff of many parks and green spaces work tirelessly to ensure their application for the prestigious Green Flag Award is successful. The number of applicants increases year after year and, with this increasing interest in the scheme, it is clear the Green Flag Award scheme is a resounding success.
There has recently been much discussion about the declining quality of our city parks and lack of focus upon rural green spaces. While this is undoubtedly a cause for concern in many places there are also many examples of thriving, popular sites run by dedicated, enthusiastic people working closely with their local communities. Many places that were run-down and neglected just a few years ago are now shining examples of outstanding green space management, and this shows the way forward. The Green Flag Award Scheme is the impetus to an ever-increasing improvement in the quality of our parks and green spaces.
The scheme is currently expanding into Scotland and Northern Ireland - three parks received a Green Flag Award when a pilot was carried out in Scotland last year and three sites have been entered into a pilot scheme in Northern Ireland for the first time this year.
East Midlands (43)Eastern (32)Greater London (112)North East (31)North West (161)South East (56)South West (42)West Midlands (28)Yorkshire & Humberside (33)Wales (13)Scotland (3)Green Heritage Site Winners (31)Green Pennant Award Winners (77)
