Four of Newcastle’s city centre parks cared for by our team have achieved Green Flag Awards. All four parks have retained their accreditation – Jesmond Dene for the 9th consecutive year and Walker Park for the 6th consecutive year. Exhibition Park and Leazes Park have each been recognised for a 3rd year.
Jesmond Dene
Jesmond Dene received high praise from the judges. One judge even said it was “Overall one of the best UK parks I have visited with so much going on that I will love to come and explore all the corners of the park. Keep up the great work you are doing in this park. WELL DONE.”
Walker Park
The judges were impressed with the planting and biodiversity in Walker Park. They remarked that “is an excellent urban park with a diverse range of habitats for wildlife. It is very worthy of maintaining it Green Flag Accreditation.”
“The Robbie Burns statue’s base, which has a Scottish themed planting, and the wildflower beds were colourful and well maintained.” And that “the reduced mowing regime under the trees and other areas [as part of our Beelines North East project] has improved species diversity within the park.”
Exhibition Park
In addition to being delighted with condition of Exhibition Park, the judges fed back on the level of activity within the park. They stated “Great community involvement present in the park and it was great to see the various organisations involved in the park from croquet, miniature railway, gardeners, art enthusiast and others I have forgot to mention.”
“The café that was absolutely buzzing and my visit was on a Monday. A great selection of food and drinks in a really friendly and inviting environment. It is something to be proud of.”
Leazes Park
In Leazes Park the judges noted that the Friends of Leazes Park and other partners were instrumental in making the park Green Flag Award winning. One judge said; “The well-established Friends Group raises funds for small projects and provides a very useful link to the community… Really great to see such a pro-active group.”
“The Urban Green team are now getting into their stride and are moving forward with efficiency measures, innovative partnerships and exciting plans for the future.”
A Green Flag Award is an international mark of quality for parks and green spaces and reflects the high standard of these city centre parks.
Our CEO, Carol Pyrah said: “We are delighted that these 4 parks cared for by Urban Green have been awarded Green Flag status. This is really important for the city and the communities who use these green spaces on a daily basis. Achieving the awards has been a real partnership effort: a Green Flag is the gold standard for quality in green spaces. Over the next 10 years we hope to achieve Green Flag Awards for all 33 of the parks in our stewardship.
Commenting on the news that all four parks have met the Green Flag Award standard. Keep Britain Tidy’s Accreditation Manager Paul Todd said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making these four fantastic sites worthy of Green Flag Awards.
These parks are vital green spaces for the community in Newcastle. This award is testament to all the hard work of staff and volunteers, who do so much to ensure that it maintains the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”
About the Green Flag Awards
The Green Flag Award scheme is managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. It recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
Find out more about the awards and see the full list of winners at www.greenflagaward.org