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Much like the blue flag status awarded to beaches, the Green Flag Award is a means of recognising and rewarding the best green spaces throughout the UK and Ireland and creating a benchmark of excellence for recreational green areas. Northern Ireland has three recipients.
Colin Glen Forest Park Manager Kashif Ijaz (left) and Colin Glen Trust Chief Executive Timothy Duffy display the green flag.
The newly restored Castle Gardens and Colin Glen Forest Park have both been classified as outstanding green spaces, following a stringent application and judging process by the Civic Trust which manages the Green Flag award scheme. The Green Flag Award is the national standard for quality parks and green spaces.
The scheme was open to Northern Ireland parks for the first time this year, with Lisburn parks proving unbeatable competition as Castle Gardens and Colin Glen Forest Park were named as two of three the Northern Irish winners, alongside Lurgan Park.
The parks were honoured at an awards ceremony in Liverpool in late July, attended by Mayor Councillor Ronnie Crawford and Councillor Allan Ewart, Chairman of the Council’s Economic Development Committee, representing Castle Gardens and Kashif Ijaz, Park Manager of Colin Glen Forest Park, representing Colin Glen Trust.
Mayor Ronnie Crawford, commented, “The objective of the Green Flag Award scheme is to encourage the provision of good quality public parks that are managed in environmentally sustainable ways. The Council believes the award of the flag to both these parks demonstrates their high quality along with a commitment to deliver full education and events programmes in partnership with the local community. To have two of only three parks awarded the green flag within the Council area is something to be really proud of.”
Councillor Allan Ewart, Chairman of the Council’s Economic Development Committee, added, “It is an honour to be successful in this the first year that the scheme has run in Northern Ireland. Of course we could not have achieved such a high standard facility at Castle Gardens without the financial assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund and since the launch of the gardens in June we have seen a great increase in the number of people visiting to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.”
At the awards ceremony, both parks were praised for their high environmental standards and for being welcoming, well maintained and driving the support and involvement of the local community.
Colin Glen Trust was also singled out for special praise at the gala dinner and given a standing ovation for its commitment to developing a high quality recreational green space to the community and environmental education to thousands of school children each year, and as the only non council managed park to win the award.
Tim Duffy, Chief Executive of Colin Glen Trust, said:
We are delighted to have received this award which is a testament to the staff and volunteers who manage and maintain the park. Colin Glen Forest Park will be marking its 20th anniversary later this year so receiving this award is a fantastic start to our celebrations.”
Any green space that is freely accessible to the public is eligible to enter for a Green Flag Award. Awards are given on an annual basis and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Flag status. This year some 742 green spaces across the country, all freely accessible to the public, have received a Green Flag Award.
For more information on the Green Flag Awards, please see www.greenflagaward.org.uk
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