Latest news with #AllisonOgdenNewton
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Green Flag awards given to scores of parks in the East of England
Hundreds of parks and green spaces across the east of England have won Green Flag first Green Flags were awarded in 1997 after many historic city centre parks were left neglected and derelict for Flags celebrate parks that are well-maintained for users and year 204 parks and green spaces across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Suffolk have been featured in the awards list. The Green Flag Award scheme is managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: "We are thrilled to see that an incredible 204 sites in the East of England have met the standards required for a Green Flag Award, reflecting the tireless work of the people tasked with caring for and improving these crucial national assets." Four Green Flag awards have been given to St Albans City and District Council in Hertfordshire in recognition of its outstanding parks and open Verulamium Park was also given a green heritage site accreditation, supported by Historic England, for the "excellent management" of its ancient Roman in the district, Harpenden Common and Lydekker Park – both owned by Harpenden Town Council – were also awarded Green Farm Woodland Park, owned by Sandridge Parish Council, was awarded the community award. The scheme was launched 29 years ago and the first awards were given a year later. In Essex, the Boleyn Gardens Beaulieu Recreation Ground and Grand Vista - run by Chelmsford City Council - won a Green Flag Meadow and David Smith Memorial fields looked after by Broomfield Parish Council and Broomfield Village Hall have also made it onto the awards list. Thirteen places in Suffolk have been given Green Flags by Keep Britain Close, Brandon Country Park, East Town, Nowton Park, West Stow and The Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds have all been given Green Ipswich, Bourne Park, Christchurch and Holywells have been recognised as have Nicholas Everitt in Oulton Broad near Water's found its way back on the list while Felixstowe Seafront Gardens retains its award as does Lowestoft's Woods Meadow Country Park. Norwich also made its way onto the list with six parks and green spaces being awarded including three new visiting Kett's Heights on Kett's HIll, often get to see views of the cathedral and the castle but it has also become a new winner of the Green Flag Lind Park on Norfolk Street has also become a new addition to the list alongside Heigham Park on Jessopp Heath on Heartsease Lane, Waterloo Park on Angel Road and Eaton Park on Park Avenue have all kept their Green Flag status. In Northamptonshire, The Green Patch in Kettering has won a Green Flag area uses a 2.5-acre site to support young people, adults and families through free gardening, therapy sessions, and mental health and wellbeing activities. In Cambridgeshire, places such as Ely Country Park and Jubilee Gardens have also been featured. Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
BBC News
19-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Wyre Forest gets £27k to remove littered gum from streets
A district council has received £27,500 to remove chewing gum from its Forest District councillor Ben Brookes said the funding meant the council could "get to work cleaning up and, just as importantly, help remind people to bin their gum rather than drop it".Keep Britain Tidy said the cost of cleaning up chewing gum was estimated at £7m a project, named the Chewing Gum Task Force, has been funded by a £10m investment from gum manufacturers, spread over five years. It has awarded 54 councils grants totalling £1.585 million, which could help clean an estimated 500,000m2 of of Wolverhampton Council had been awarded a grant of £20, Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy's chief executive, said: "Chewing gum continues to be an unsightly form of litter in our public spaces. "People need to remember that disposing irresponsibly of their gum causes harm to our environment as it takes years to decompose naturally - and, ultimately, costs the public purse to clean it up."Brookes added that clearing up the gum would "make a big difference to how our district looks and feels". Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Blue Flag success for Skegness and other Lincolnshire beaches
Three of Lincolnshire's beaches have been recognised as among the best in Skegness and Sutton-on-Sea have retained their Blue Flag status. The international award is given by the environmental charity, Keep Britain Tidy, to the safest, cleanest and greenest sites. Councillor Martin Foster, of East Lindsey District Council, said: "These awards not only highlight the exceptional quality and cleanliness of our beaches, but also reinforce East Lindsey as a top destination for residents and visitors." "It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our local teams, volunteers, and communities who take such pride in our coastline," added Foster, who holds the executive portfolio for operational services. The Blue Flag awards have been running for 38 years and are given to beaches with the highest classification of water quality, set by the EU Bathing Water have to meet strict criteria – including environmental, educational, safety and accessibility Ogden-Newton, the chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: "It's wonderful to see the flags flying proudly over three beaches in East Lindsey, demonstrating their quality to residents and visitors alike." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
