More than 90 per cent of the population use parks and green spaces: more green flag awards given this year

Parks act as ‘green lungs’ in our most built-up areas and are important to people. This year, a record number of Green Flag and Pennant Awards have been given to some of the best parks and green spaces in the country.

Recent research (Heritage Lottery Fund – October 2009) shows that every year, in England alone, people make almost 1.8 billion visits to parks and today, in 1,200 of those parks and green spaces, Green Flags and Pennants will be going up to show the public just where the well-managed, high-quality places are.

Green Flags are awarded to parks and green spaces managed by local authorities or privately run organisations and Green Pennants are awarded to volunteer and community-run urban green spaces.

And for millions of people up and down the country, the importance of these green oases in our most built-up regions cannot be underestimated.

In support of the Green Flag Awards, Communities and Local Government Minister Andrew Stunell MP said: 'The record number of Green Pennants awarded to local people showing what people can do for themselves in their local area is an amazing achievement! They are a model to us all and are real examples of ‘Big Society‘ in action.'

‘We know that 95 per cent of the population (Cabe Space: Urban Green Nation – March 2010) think it is important to have green spaces near where they live – a figure that has grown from 91 per cent in the past three years – and that in the most highly urbanised areas of London and the South-East, the figures are even higher.’

The highest concentrations of Green Flag Award sites, which offer clean, safe and welcoming places to spend time, are in London, the South East and the North West - the most densely populated areas of Britain - and the numbers are growing year on year, with the number of awarded sites in the South-East and London up by 19 per cent and 14 per cent respectively, and the number in the North-West up by nine per cent. Winners in Wales and Scotland have increased by 36% and 160% respectively.

Last year, almost 90 per cent of the population used parks and green spaces, compared with just 29 per cent who visited a gallery.

The Green Flag and Pennant Awards are run on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government by Keep Britain Tidy, British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) and Green Space – collectively known as the Green Flag Plus Partnership.

The Green Flag Award Scheme was launched in 1996 to recognise and reward the best green spaces in the country. It is the national standard for parks in the UK and recognises well-managed, high-quality areas. Green Pennants are awarded to parks or green spaces managed by a community or voluntary group.