Welsh green spaces recognised as the ‘best of the best’

Five Welsh schemes have picked up ‘Best of the Best’ titles at a UK-wide awards ceremony that honours the people and projects making a difference across the nation’s Green Flag sites.

The accolades, which were announced at an awards ceremony today (14 November) reward staff, volunteers and projects that have made a real difference in some of the UK’s 2,208 Green Flag sites.

Van Ward Allotments in Caerphilly were recognised for their efforts to increase ‘Use by Women and Girls’.

Research shows women and girls are less likely to use public spaces due primarily to concerns about safety, which impacts their health and wellbeing.

Over the past two years, volunteers from Van Ward Allotments have made it their mission to encourage more women and girls to enjoy their green space.

They’ve created smaller, more accessible growing areas, developed a weekly ‘welcome space’ to tackle loneliness and food poverty, and set up a walking group to boost people’s wellbeing.

Best of the Best

The other ‘Best of the Best’ winners were:

• Heritage Project – Penllergare Valley Woods, Swansea
• Employee of the Year – Theresa Heal, Ynys Hywel Farm Allotment, Caerphilly

• Volunteer Team of the Year (Wales) – Friends of Wern Mynach, Gwynedd
• Young Volunteers – Maes Y Pant Woods Duke of Edinburgh Volunteers, Wrexham

Lucy Prisk, Green Flag Coordinator at Keep Wales Tidy, said: “Having access to free, high-quality parks and green spaces should never be taken for granted.

“We can all enjoy these wonderful places because of the dedication of staff and volunteers across Wales.”

Lucy continued: “The Best of the Best awards shine a spotlight on some of the incredible projects taking place at our Green Flag sites. We want to congratulate our worthy winners on their fantastic achievement.”

Public vote

There was further success for Wales in the People’s Choice Awards, with Margam Country Park and Gardd Enfys being named in the UK’s top ten favourite green spaces.  

More than 21,000 members of the public cast their vote in the People’s Choice.

It’s the eleventh year that Margam Country Park in Neath Port Talbot has appeared in the top ten, while Gardd Enfys in Ceredigion feature for the first time, having received their inaugural Green Flag Community Award in July.

The Green Flag Award scheme is delivered in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy with support from Welsh Government. Visit the Keep Wales Tidy website for more information: www.keepwalestidy.cymru