Other Awards supported by CIWEM

Green Flag Parks Awards

CIWEM is a supporter of the Green Flag Parks Awards Scheme.

Over the last 150 years, public parks have provided a focal point for local communities. They are also an important part of our heritage and make a vital contribution to the social, economic and recreational life of a community.

Parks provide a meeting place for people of all ages and stages of life, for example: parents with young children; for school children and teenagers; for sportsmen and women; and for the elderly.

Parks often offer a mix of facilities, which can range from any of the following: sports facilities, walking, contact with the natural world and sometimes even the opportunity to get involved in community projects.

In recent years the quality of management and maintenance of too much of our public green space has been falling and the evidence of neglect is all too clear. The Green Flag Park Awards have been designed and developed to help raise the standard of our public parks and green spaces, especially in urban areas, for the benefit of the whole community. Set out below are some of the qualities that go to create an attractive park and render it eligible for a Green Flag Award.

Environment
Parks should always support a variety of habitats, encourage conservation and offer the opportunity to learn more about nature and conservation. Parks should be aware that sound maintenance practices should be carried out and that a commitment to conservation and environmental protection should be demonstrated. For example, a low dependence on chemical pesticides.

Community
Parks should provide facilities suited to the needs of the community. The park should be a focal point of local activities, such as children's shows and activities, festivals and other events. In the eyes of the community a park should be seen as an asset and should try to become actively involved in its management, development and upkeep.

Landscape
Parks should be places that provide active and passive recreational opportunities, but the park's size, location and catchment area should also be taken into account. The best parks will provide for all ages and will combine sports facilities with quiet areas for walking and contemplation. Natural and historical features should also be carefully exploited to the benefit of all the park's users.

Safe, clean and accessible
A park should be a safe place for everyone. It should also be well managed and maintained. Access to a park and all its facilities must be available to all members of the community.

What does the award do?
The award recognises and encourages good quality parks and freely accessible public places. It is also being developed to provide a benchmark by which the quality of parks and green spaces can be measured and compared nationally.

Parliamentary and government praise
The Green Flag Park Awards scheme has been singled out for special praise by the Parliamentary Environmental Select Committee in its report on Parks. This view was emphatically endorsed by the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions, which congratulated the steering group on the establishment of the awards.

Who manages the scheme?
Management is carried out by a steering group consisting of: The Civic Trust www.civictrust.org.uk , The Chartered Institution of Water & Environmental Management (CIWEM), Pesticide Action Network UK www.pan-uk.org , English Nature www.englishnature.org.uk , KM Consultancy and The Institute of Leisure & Amenity Management (ILAM) www.ilam.co.uk.

Find out more
All enquiries to:
Karen Lewis, Green Flag Awards Manager
The Civic Trust
Sixth Floor
The View
Gostins Building
32/36 Hanover Street
Liverpool
L1 4LN
E-mail: northernoffice@civictrust.org.uk

The Waterways Renaissance Awards

CIWEM supports the Waterways Renaissance Awards, which are awarded annually by The Waterways Trust and BURA to recognise best practice in waterway development and regeneration. For information about these Awards, contact:

BURA
63-66 Hatton Garden
London EC1N 8LE
Tel: 0800 0181 260
Email: awards@thewaterwaystrust.co.uk

Further information is also available on www.bura.org.uk