Parks and green spaces across the country will be raising their Green Flag Awards with pride in a year when millions of people have seen the value of having great quality green spaces on their doorstep.
Among them will be 16 parks and green spaces in Solihull, which has been raising Green Flag Awards for the last 18 years. They join more than 2,000 sites across the country in collecting awards for 2020.
The Green Flags in Solihull go to:
Babbs Mill Recreation Ground, Bentley Heath Recreation Ground, Damson Lane Park, Dorridge Park & Wood, Elmdon Park, Hillfield Park, Knowle Park, Lavender Hall Park, Malvern & Brueton Park, Meriden Park, Olton Jubilee Park, Palmers Rough Recreation Ground, Robin Hood Cemetery, Shirley Park, Tudor Grange Park and Woodlands.
Solihull Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways, Cllr Ken Hawkins, said:
“This year we’ve appreciated our parks and open spaces as places to safely meet with our friends and family and to rediscover nature. They have also been much needed places to escape to for peace, quiet and reflection. I am really pleased that we have been able to continue to manage and maintain our parks and spaces during these difficult times. That this has been recognised for the eighteenth consecutive year is a reflection of the hard work of our staff and volunteers alike.”
Commenting on Solihull’s success, Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said:
“This year, more than ever, our parks and green spaces have been a lifeline and we know that millions of people have used them to relax, meet friends, exercise or simply escape for a short time.
“It is testament to the incredible dedication and hard work of parks staff and volunteers that, despite the challenges that went along with record numbers of visitors, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council has achieved the highest international standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for their management across the United Kingdom and around the world.