Eight of Medway’s greenspaces have retained their Green Flag status once again.
The eight Medway parks which have been recognised by the Green Flag Awards scheme are: Broomhill Park, Capstone Farm Country Park, Gillingham Park, Hillyfields Community Park, Riverside Country Park, The Great Lines Heritage Park, The Vines Gardens and Ranscombe Farm Reserve.
The Green Flag Accreditation, the international quality mark for parks and greenspaces, is testament to the hard work and dedication of the teams that care for Medway’s greenspaces so that visitors and residents alike can enjoy them.
The Great Lines Heritage Park also achieved the Green Heritage Site Accreditation, supported by Historic England, in recognition of the management and promotion of its historic features.
Hard work and dedication
Cllr Simon Curry, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Strategic Regeneration, said: “It is incredibly important that people have access to high quality greenspaces, and here in Medway we have a huge range of greenspaces with amazing facilities offering something for all of our residents and visitors to enjoy.
“I am delighted to hear that eight of our fantastic parks have been recognised by Keep Britain Tidy and the Green Flag Awards scheme once again. So many people are involved in helping to keep these important community spaces maintained to a high level and these awards are thanks to their hard work and dedication.
“From friends’ groups, volunteers, council officers, Plantlife and Medway Norse, everyone works incredibly hard to maintain our greenspaces throughout the whole year – and with the weather we have had recently and the school summer holidays just around the corner there is no better time to get out and enjoy Medway’s greenspaces for yourself!”
Vital green space
Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE, said: “Congratulations to everyone involved in Medway’s green spaces who have worked tirelessly to ensure that they achieved the high standards required for the Green Flag Award.
“Quality parks and green spaces make the country a heathier place to live and work in, and a stronger place in which to invest.
“Crucially, there are vital green space for communities in Medway to enjoy nature, and during the ongoing cost of living crisis it is a free and safe space for families to socialise. They also provide important opportunities for local people and visitors to reap the physical and mental health benefits of green space”
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and greenspaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of greenspaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.