Latest news with #GreenFlagAwards
Leader Live
5 days ago
- Business
- Leader Live
Hannah Blythyn MS for Delyn says 'our towns matter'
MS for Delyn Our towns matter. They're more than just places on a map, they're where we grow up, build our lives and create our futures – that's why I've always believed in backing them. Last week in the Senedd, I asked the First Minister about the Welsh Government's commitment to investing in our towns across North Wales and to go further by putting local people at the heart of decisions that shape their communities. From Rhyl's new Queen's Market to the transformation of Theatr Clwyd, the Welsh Government is investing in our towns. I'm proud to have played a part in establishing the Transforming Towns approach that's seen a significant amount of investment across the country and nearly £5.5m alone in Flintshire and Denbighshire. You can see many of my contributions in the Senedd on my Facebook page at I'm proud to see once again our green spaces across the constituency recognised as part of the record-breaking Green Flag Awards. From Bailey Hill in Mold to Greenfield Valley Heritage Park, these places play such a significant part in our lives – they're vital for our wellbeing, our wildlife and our communities. The full list for Wales includes 315 spaces recognised for their excellence, securing Wales that global benchmark of the highest number of Green Flags. A huge thank you to all the volunteers, community groups and the local authorities who make this possible. Your hard work has helped put our favourite North Wales spaces on the map with a Green Flag award. We recently saw the School Essentials Grant open for applications – a really helpful way to get hold of uniform, school equipment, books and laptops as well as paying for school trips for families on low incomes. Grants of up to £125 per child are available, going up to £200 for Year 7 students to reflect the extra cost of going to secondary school. To qualify, families need to be on certain benefits and children need to qualify for Free School Meals – grants are administered by Flintshire County Council, so to find out more and apply, go to Age Cymru recently launched a new, free and confidential telephone advice line specifically for older carers in Wales. Whether you're new to caring or have been doing it for years, the new telephone line provides information and advice tailored to the needs of older carers – advisors can help with a range of issues, including access to services, benefits, your rights as a carer and more, so it could be a real help to older carers in our corner of North Wales. You can contact the Older Carers Advice Line on 03300 564 365 to speak to a friendly advisor who understands your situation. I recently had the chance to join the RSPB at Talacre to do a bit of birdwatching – we were looking for the Little Tern, which can sometimes be seen in Talacre and also at Gronant Dunes. Regular readers might remember that I'm the Senedd Species Champion for the Little Tern, which the RSPB has put on the 'amber' list of birds of conservation concern. Sadly, I didn't spot any Little Terns but I did see some Sandwich Terns and Curlew! And, finally, I'm recruiting – I'm currently looking for someone to join my busy team as a Caseworker and Constituency Coordinator. This role is based in the constituency and involves helping local residents with casework, coordinating constituency visits and events and ensuring the day-to-day running of the office is responsive to the needs of the people and communities I represent. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, or if you know someone who might be a good fit, you can see full details at As always, if you would like advice and/or support, please don't hesitate to get in touch on any of the following contact details – 52 High Street, Mold, Flintshire, on 01352 753464 or by email You can also keep up to date via my Facebook page – Constituents are, of course, welcome to contact my office to arrange an appointment to see me, you don't need to wait for an advice surgery.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Bexley and Bromley Parks among UK's best with 2025 Green Flag Awards
Several parks across Bexley and Bromley have been officially recognised as some of the finest in the country, after winning prestigious Green Flag Awards for 2025. The annual awards, regarded as the international quality benchmark for parks and green spaces, celebrate well-managed, welcoming, and environmentally sustainable outdoor areas. Among this year's 2,250 UK winners are standout sites in both boroughs, reflecting the hard work of local authorities, volunteers, and community groups. In Bexley, Lesnes Abbey Wood, managed by Bexley Council, has been awarded the prestigious flag. Lesnes Abbey Wood (Image: Newsquest) Bromley also boasts several winners, all managed by idverde for Bromley Council. These include Biggin Hill Recreation Ground, Cator Park, Chislehurst and Walden Recreation Ground, Darrick and Newstead Wood, Hayes Common, High Elms Country Park, Kelsey Park, Keston Common, Queens Gardens, and South Hill Wood. Other sites in Bromley have received additional awards. West Wickham Common, managed by the City of London, has been given the Green Heritage Site Accreditation. This recognises sites that meet extra criteria and care for, share, and celebrate the heritage of their locations. The Green Flag Community Award, which recognises quality green spaces managed by voluntary and community groups, has been given to Hoblingwell Wood and Recreation Ground, managed by Friends of Hoblingwell, and Winsford Gardens, supervised by Penge Green Gym. In Bexley, the Sidcup Place Community Garden has also received the Green Flag Community Award. The Green Flag Award is managed by Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. This year marks the 29th anniversary of the scheme, which aims to recognise and reward the best green spaces in the country. Four parks, which received their first Green Flag Award in 1997, have managed to maintain it every year since. Keep Britain Tidy's chief executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: "We are thrilled to see that an incredible 2,250 sites 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. "Our quality parks and green spaces make the UK a healthier place in which to live and work, and a stronger place in which to invest." She added that the Green Flag Award sets the standard for caring for these sites amidst growing recognition that our green spaces can be part of the solution to climate change. The charity believes that the standards expected for the Green Flag Award should be a minimum for every park. They aim for a significant increase in the number of sites achieving Green Flag Award status by 2030, so that people, wherever they live, can access and enjoy safe, high-quality green space. Erika Diaz Petersen, Historic England's principal national landscape adviser, added: "We congratulate this year's winners for their achievements in reaching Green Flag Award standards for looking after our vital green infrastructure. "Heritage is at the heart of our green infrastructure networks, from public parks to our canal network, providing crucial benefits for people and nature, and a critical resource for climate resilience." The Green Flag Award scheme sets the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
BBC News
18-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Waverley parks and open spaces honoured in Green Flag Awards
A total of 11 council-managed parks and green spaces in an area of Surrey have been honoured by an international award scheme. The sites in the Waverley area have received Green Flag Awards, marking them as some of the finest in the Park has, once again, also received Green Heritage Site Accreditation, recognizing its "exceptional management of historic features".Steve Williams, Waverley Borough Council's portfolio holder for environment and sustainability, said the awards were "a testament to our dedicated parks and countryside team". Parks on the award list in addition to Farnham are Broadwater Park and Phillips Memorial Park in spaces honoured were Badshot Lea Pond and Orchard, Bealeswood Common in Dockenfield, Blackheath Common near Albury, Frensham Common, Lammas Lands in Godalming, Mare Hill near Witley, Summerlands Estate in Cranleigh and Weybourne Nature Green Flag Award Scheme is managed by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local sets the benchmark for the management of green spaces across the UK and Williams said: "I do hope our residents get out and enjoy some of our beautiful greenspaces this summer."
South Wales Argus
18-07-2025
- General
- South Wales Argus
Delight as four Monmouthshire locations pick up Green Flag awards
This award recognises locations offering excellent facilities and an ongoing commitment to great quality service. The Monmouthshire sites to gain a Green Flag award this year were Rogiet Countryside Park (an award recipient since 2024), Tintern Old Station (a recipient since 2009), Caldicot Castle and Country Park (honoured since 2013), and Castle Meadows in Abergavenny (since 2014). Twelve community sites were recognised with the Green Flag Community Award, including: Bailey Park, Busy Bees Garden, Caerwent Meadows, Caldicot Community Garden, Crick Meadow, Crucorney Allotments, Goytre Community Garden, Incredible Edible Usk, Laurie Jones Community Orchard, Mardy Park, Rogiet Wildlife Friendly Village and The Cornfield. Keep Wales Tidy administers the Green Flag Award programme in Wales, with support from the Welsh Government. Monmouthshire County Council's cabinet member for rural affairs, housing and tourism Cllr Sara Burch said: 'We have a wealth of fantastic green spaces and attractions across Monmouthshire. 'From family days out to those seeking something more nature or activity focused, there is something for everyone. 'I am proud that the hard work of volunteers has been rewarded once again with these Green Flag Awards.' Cabinet member for climate change and the environment Cllr Catrin Maby said: 'It is so pleasing to see that many of our locations within the beautiful county of Monmouthshire have received awards this year. 'It is fantastic to see sites at from Tintern Old Station to Castle Meadows in Abergavenny have been recognised with Green Flag awards.'
Scotsman
15-07-2025
- General
- Scotsman
37 beautiful parks and green spaces handed Green Flag Awards
Almost 40 parks and green spaces in Edinburgh have been recognised with Green Flag Awards. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The award encourages councils and green space owners to take great care in making their spaces clean, safe and well-maintained in hopes to be recognised among the most beautiful parks in Scotland and the UK as a whole. Green Flag Awards are administered by Keep Scotland Beautiful in Scotland and their aim is to ensure suitable green spaces and parks that the public can use for free to improve mental wellbeing and provide safe spaces for play and exercise. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Keep Scotland Beautiful encourages the public not to take Scotland's beauty for granted and hopes to inspire action to keep Scotland beautiful. Thirty-seven green spaces, including Princes Street Gardens, in Edinburgh will be receiving a Green Flag Award this year. | National World This year 88 parks and green spaces across Scotland have been presented with a Green Flag Award, with Edinburgh's beauty spots accounting for 37 of those awards. Thirty-five of the 37 awards in Edinburgh go to City of Edinburgh Council, with one going to NHS Lothian for Royal Edinburgh Hospital. Corstorphine Hill Community Walled Garden, managed by Friends of Corstorphine Hill within the Local Nature Reserve, has also won a Community Award for the 14th successive year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Here's the full list of Edinburgh's 37 green spaces receiving a Green Flag Ward this year - Bloomiehall Park - Braidburn Valley Park - Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park - Corstorphine Hill - Craigmillar Castle Park - Easter Craiglockhart Hill Local Nature Reserve - Fairmilehead Park - Ferniehill Community Park - Ferry Glen and Back Braes - Figgate Park - Hailes Quarry Park - Harrison Park - Hermitage and Blackford Hill Local Nature Reserve - Hopetoun Crescent Garden - Inverleith Park - King George V Park - Lauriston Castle Park - Lochend Park - London Road Gardens - Morningside Park - Muir Wood Park - Pentland Hills Regional Park - Portobello Community Garden - Prestonfield Park - Princes Street Gardens - Ravelston Woods Local Nature Reserve and Park - Rosefield Park - Saughton Park - Seven Acre Park - Spylaw Park - St Katharine's Park - St Margaret's Park - Starbank Park - Station Road Park - Victoria Park - Royal Edinburgh Hospital - Corstorphine Hill Local Nature Reserve Community Walled Garden
