Green Flag Award, United Kingdom

Last modified: 2015-08-11 by rob raeside
Keywords: green flag award |
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"The Green Flag Award (official websites http://greenflagaward.org/awards/green-flag-award/, http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/GreenFlag/) is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales (that now expands to Northern Ireland as well.). The first awards were given in 1997. It is also seen as a way of encouraging others to achieve the same high environmental standards, creating a benchmark of excellence in recreational green areas. Any free to enter public park or green space is eligible to apply for an Award. The scheme is owned by the Government through the Department for Communities and Local Government, though it is managed by other agents under contract. A pilot scheme was started in 2007 in Scotland and three parks were given awards. Both primary and secondary schools may be awarded the Green Flag in recognition of steps taken towards making the school increasingly eco-friendly.

Parks and green spaces are judged in April and May each year and the winners are announced in July. Parks must apply each year to keep their Green Flag Award, and winning sites are eligible to fly a Green Flag in the park for a year.

Sites for a Green Flag Award are judged against eight key criteria:
- A welcoming place
- Healthy, safe and secure
- Clean and well maintained
- Sustainability
- Conservation and heritage
- Community involvement
- Marketing
- Management"

The Green Flag Award is a green horizontal flag with the logo (http://greenflagaward.org/images/logo-greenflag.png) covering most of the flag, as seen here:
http://www.greenwich.co.uk/images/green-flag-award.jpg  (source: http://www.greenwich.co.uk/news/03629-more-local-parks-get-green-flag-award/)

Other related pennants and accolades are:

• Green Pennant Award (official website: http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/GreenFlag/Judges/JudgingCriteria/Default.aspx): for public-run open spaces, but the same scheme runs an award for community/charity-run public spaces, such as Millennium Greens and Doorstep Greens called the Green Pennant Award. This scheme, started in 2002.
• Green Heritage Site Accreditation (official websites: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/, http://greenflagaward.org/awards/green-heritage-sites/): for Green Flag Award winning sites over 30 years old, may apply for this award.
• Green Flag and Social Housing (Green Flag Community Award) (official website: http://greenflagaward.org/awards/community-award/): is one of the steering group partners of Neighbourhoods Green (official website: http://www.neighbourhoodsgreen.org.uk/about/gfa) a partnership initiative which works with social landlords and housing associations to highlight the importance of, and raise the overall quality of design and management for, open and green space in social housing, which started in 2012."