All the people involved in caring for eight of Pendle parks are celebrating this week as the Green Flag Awards 2014 are announced.
From Pendle Council’s Parks and Recreation team – including park keepers, gardeners and office staff – to the Friends of the Parks groups, there are smiles all round at the national awards handed out across the borough.
And no one is shouting louder than the Friends of Ball Grove Park in Trawden, who have won a Green Flag Award for the park on their fourth attempt.
Other winning parks in Pendle are:
Marsden Park, Nelson, and Memorial Park, Barrowford, which have won the award for the seventh consecutive year .
Heyhead Park, Brierfield, Barnoldswick’s Valley Gardens, Colne‘s Alkincoats Park and Victoria Park, Nelson, which have all retained the Green Flag Award for the sixth year.
And Nelson’s Walverden Park which will be flying its Green Flag for a fifth year.
Coun. Nadeem Ahmed, Executive Member for Parks and Recreation, said: “I’m very proud we’ve been able to retain the seven Green Flags our parks have held for several years now.
“And, of course, I’m delighted Ball Grove Park is now included in Pendle’s Green Flag parks.
“It’s a massive achievement for us and for the Friends of Ball Grove, whose perseverance and dedication to the upkeep of the park has paid off. My congratulations to everyone who has been involved.
“These Green Flag Awards are a signal to visitors to our parks that they are good quality, safe and welcoming spaces with excellent facilities.”
The national award, handed out by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, recognises the best parks and green spaces across the country.
The Green Flag Awards is the respected national quality standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales.
Kieron Roberts, Service Development Officer in Parks, said: “Our staff work hard to maintain high standards in all our parks. They take great pride in all they do and having a role in bringing a total of eight Green Flags to Pendle means a lot to them.
“We appreciate our parks are not perfect but our staff are working hard to make them the best they can be. Clearly, they are achieving that, as these Green Flag Awards have recognised.
“And, of course, our partnership with the dedicated and enthusiastic Friends of Parks always strengthens our Green Flag Awards applications. We are very grateful to all the Friends of our Parks for their input and support.”
Jerry Stanford, Secretary of the Friends of Ball Grove Park, commented on the Trawden park’s success at its fourth attempt. He said: “Ball Grove Park has a different nature to the other Green Flag Award winners in Pendle with a focus as a country park, so we are thrilled that this difference has at last been recognised as similarly of merit.”