Some of the most impressive green spaces in the UK – as voted for by park users – have been officially recognised in the 2024 People’s Choice Awards.
Parks provide a wide array of benefits to people, pets and wildlife including space to exercise, socialise, and improve mental and physical wellbeing, and areas for nature to thrive.
A record breaking 2,227 parks and green spaces achieved the Green Flag Award - the international quality mark for parks and green spaces – this year, with successful submissions from local authorities and other land managers across the country for a range of sites, from world-famous city parks to small, local green spaces.
It’s the largest number since the scheme began 28 years ago.
Image: Beacon Park - Lichfield District Council – Staffordshire
Now members of the park-loving public have revealed their top ten favourite of those Green Flag Award parks and spaces as part of the charity’s 2024 People’s Choice Awards, with thousands of people casting their vote:
- Rectory Lane Cemetery - Friends of St Peter's Berkhamsted – Dacorum, England
- Hollycroft Park - Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council – Leicestershire, England
- Beacon Park - Lichfield District Council – Staffordshire, England
- Victoria Park (Tower Hamlets) - London Borough of Tower Hamlets – England
- Valentines Park - Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure Ltd – London, England
- Hainault Forest Country Park - Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure Ltd – London, England
- Warley Woods - Warley Woods Community Trust – West Midlands, England
- Gardd Enfys - Friends of Gardd Enfys – Wales
- Margam Park - Neath Port Talbot Local Authority – Wales
- Strathaven Park - South Lanarkshire Council – Scotland
Green Flag Award Manager Paul Todd MBE said: “Parks are a crucial part of this country’s green infrastructure, providing free opportunities to access physical and mental health benefits even in the most built-up urban environments.
“We believe everyone, wherever they live, should be able to access and enjoy safe, high-quality green space, so to have achieved this recognition from the public is testament to the tireless work by the thousands of parks staff and volunteers up and down the country to make their parks and green spaces wonderful places everyone can benefit from.
“Our Green Flag Award sites include some of the country’s best-known and iconic parks as well as community green spaces and hospital and public transport hubs, and canals.
“We’d like to congratulate to our worthy winners on their incredible achievement.”
Meanwhile, hard working people who have dedicated their time to protecting and enhancing some of the most impressive green spaces in the UK have been officially recognised in the 2024 Best of the Best Awards, with a jury making the tough decision of who meets the criteria for each category.
Among the winners in England are:
- Best Climate Change Adaptation – Coventry University, West Midlands
- Best Biodiversity / Habitat Creation project - Hope Coppice, Solihull, West Midlands
- Best Health Initiative - Queens Park, Crewe, Cheshire
- Volunteer of the Year – joint winners: Brian Quinn, Friends of Rotten Row, Southport, Sefton (and Anne Macauley, Friends of Antrim Castle Gardens, Northern Ireland)
- Team of Year – Park Staff: Joint winners – Bradgate Park, Leicestershire and Wirral Country Park, Merseyside
- Volunteer Team of the Year England: Friends of Dothill and Shawbirch LNR, Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire
