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• Managers Urged to Apply For National Recognition

• Date:

  6th January 2004

• Contact:

  Sarah Egerton

• Organisation:

  The Civic Trust

Managers of parks and green spaces in England and Wales are being urged to take their place as part of a growing national network, by applying for a Green Flag Award.

The Green Flag Award, now in its eighth year, is the national standard for parks and green spaces.  It recognises the value of green spaces to communities, and rewards excellent standards of green space management. The 2004/05 application round is now open, and applications are invited for any green space in England and Wales which is freely accessible to the public.

182 green spaces won a Green Flag Award in 2003, and will be flying a flag throughout 2004.  Winners range from town centre parks and formal gardens, to nature reserves, woodlands, and large country parks.  Applications for the 2004/05 round will be judged in May – June 2004, and winners will be accredited for 2005.

Gaining a coveted Green Flag Award can bring parks and councils a range of benefits, from setting local indicators, to highlighting the importance of green space development for community regeneration.  The scheme also encourages parks to recognise the role of community engagement in reducing crime; improving educational opportunities; and engendering civic pride.  The scheme can also act as a lever for both internal and external funding. 

The Civic Trust and main funding partner CABE Space are also reminding community groups to lobby for their local parks to become eligible for the Green Flag Award.  Community recognition and involvement in the park is essential to success in the Green Flag Award scheme, and friends groups, civic societies and other interested community groups can provide that vital link between management and the wider public. 

Community-managed green spaces can also apply now for a Green Pennant Award.

Organisations managing green space who recognise the value of a Green Flag or Green Pennant Award but are unsure if they are ready to apply, may wish to contact the Civic Trust (Northern Office) for more details on the criteria. 

NOTES FOR EDITORS Contact Laura Sangster on 020 7389 1381 or The Civic Trust, the country’s leading urban environment charity, manages the Green Flag Award scheme. The Trust’s aim is to inspire and promote progressive improvements in the quality of urban life for everyone, and the Green Flag Award scheme is a key part of that objective. The Trust is the umbrella body for 850 Civic Societies across the country – representing 250,000 individuals concerned with the built environment – and campaigns on urban policy on their behalf. http://www.civictrust.org.uk CABE Space is the national champion for parks and public spaces. CABE Space aims to bring excellence to the design, management and maintenance of parks and public space in our towns and cities. Established in 2003, CABE Space is part of CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, which champions the quality of our buildings and spaces. CABE Space is the main funding partner of the Green Flag Award scheme. Contact Anna Penning-Rowsell at CABE Space, 020 7960 2467, . The Green Flag Award scheme was started in 1996 by a group of individuals who were passionate about green spaces. These individuals, representing a range of key organisations, worked as the Green Flag Award Steering Group. In 2003, the scheme was gifted to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, who handed the strategic operation to CABE Space. It is the national standard for parks and green spaces.