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• New community award launched to recognise high quality green spaces

• Date:

  7th May 2002

• Contact:

  Sarah Egerton

• Organisation:

  The Civic Trust

A new award has been launched today aimed specifically at rewarding high quality voluntary and community-managed green spaces in England and Wales.

The Green Pennant Award, set up within the framework of the well-established Green Flag Award scheme (the national standard for quality parks and green spaces), will promote high standards in smaller community-managed green spaces, providing valuable publicity for the sites and the organisations that work hard to look after them.

The Award is aimed at organisations that own or manage a green space, such as community groups and voluntary groups, town or parish councils (with a budgeted expenditure of less than £5,000), or school gardens that are open to the public. In their assessment of each green space, judges will consider issues like security, cleanliness, environmental sustainability and community involvement; any site that meets the criteria will receive an Award.

Sally Keeble MP, Minister for Regeneration said: ‘Community management transforms parks in our towns and cities.  Increasingly local groups are joining forces to plan and care for their local parks and gardens, saving them from developers and vandals.  This new Green Pennant Award will recognise their achievements.”

For this first year of the scheme, only a limited number of applications can be accepted.  Places will therefore be allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.  For information about how to enter, please contact the Civic Trust on 0151 709 1969.  The closing date for the receipt of application forms to the Green Pennant scheme is 7 June 2002. Judging will take place from June 2002, and the winners will be announced in the autumn.

The scheme is overseen by a steering group made up of environmental organisations (see below for details).  Further information and an application pack for the Green Pennant Award can be obtained from the Civic Trust’s Liverpool office on 0151 709 1969; email

NOTES FOR EDITORS The Green Flag Award Scheme is a joint project of: the Pesticides Action Network – UK; the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management; the Children's Play Council; the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management; English Nature; KMC Consultancy; Liz Greenhalgh (independent consultant); Ian Baggott (independent consultant); Mike Rowan; John Newton (independent consultant); Patrick Kilburn (green flag award judge) and the Civic Trust. The above organisations/people form the Green Flag steering group. The Civic Trust manages the scheme on behalf of the steering group. The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) is a supporter of the Green Flag Award scheme, providing funds through its Special Grants Programme The Pesticide Action Network UK is a charity concerned with the health and environmental effects of pesticides and works to promote sustainable alternatives. PAN-UK initiated the Green Flag Award Scheme as an incentive for sustainable management and the improvement of open public spaces. English Nature is the statutory body that champions the conservation and enhancement of the wildlife and natural features in England. We do this by establishing Natural Nature Reserves, notifying and safeguarding sites of Special Scientific Interest, advocating to government departments and others effective policies for nature conservation, disseminating guidance and advice, and promoting research relevant to nature conservation. We promote the provision of natural habitats within parks and other public open spaces as a means of delivering Biodiversity Action Plan objectives, and ensuring people benefit from a close contact with nature. The Civic Trust is a national charity that leads the campaign to improve local environments. One of the Trust’s core activities is to promote excellence by setting high standards of design, sustainability and community involvement and recognising the very best through a range of awards. The Green Flag Steering Group would like to thank the organisations that sponsor the Green Pennant Award scheme: the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions; Shanks First through the landfill tax credit scheme; The Countryside Agency, the Countryside Council for Wales and English Nature.