23 July 2015
More parks and green spaces than ever will be flying the Green Flag Award this year – more than 1,582 across the UK.
Today, the Green Flag Award scheme has unveiled this year's Award winners - the mark of a quality park or green space.
In total, 1582 parks, cemeteries, universities, shopping centres and community gardens in the UK have met the high standard needed to receive the Green Flag Award or the Green Flag Community Award.
The Green Flag Award scheme is also extending internationally, including Holland, Australia and New Zealand. For the first time this year, three parks in the United Arab Emirate of Abu Dhabi have achieved their Green Flag Award. The award was also piloted this year in the Republic of Ireland by An Taisce.
The Green Flag Awards are judged by an army of more than 700 green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.
International Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: "We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme. All the flags flying this year are a testament to the efforts of the thousands of men and women, both staff and volunteers, who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award."
The full list of parks achieving the Green Flag Award can be viewed here.
