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Churchyards and holy sites earn Green Flags

26 July 2024

Alamy

A tree in blossom in the churchyard of St John at Hackney, in east London

A tree in blossom in the churchyard of St John at Hackney, in east London

GRAVEYARDS, crematoria, and parks have received the Green Flag Award, the quality mark for green spaces and parks.

Among the winners are many churchyards and religious sites. In total, 2227 parks and green spaces have reached the standard to earn a Green Flag for 2024.

St John’s Wood Church Grounds, in London, has earned both the award and Green Heritage Site accreditation for its management. The accreditation is given to sites that take action to conserve the heritage, and help visitors to understand its historic significance. St John’s Wood Church Grounds is a disused graveyard which is now a public park, managed by Westminster City Council. It is the only nature reserve in the Borough of Westminster.

Of the Green Flag awards, seven have gone to faith sites that are run by voluntary and community groups, including St Luke’s Church Grounds, Crosby, and Holy Cross, Woodchurch, on the Wirral. Both of these are looked after by the PCC.

St Luke’s is an eco-church and has a garden linked to the Quiet Garden Movement, which is looked after by volunteers.

The Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick has won its Green Flag award for Lions of the Great War site, an open space which contains a memorial to South Asian service personnel of all faiths from the Indian subcontinent, who fought for Britain in the Great War and other conflicts.

The Green Flag Award Scheme is run by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It sets a benchmark for the management of green spaces across the UK.

Any green space that is freely accessible to the public is eligible to enter for a Green Flag Award. Awards are given annually and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Flag Award status. To earn it, the spaces must be well maintained, safe and open to everyone.

The chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, Allison Ogden-Newton, said: “Prioritising parks and green spaces is vital for our future; so we are delighted to see that 2227 sites have met the standards required for a Green Flag Award, reflecting the tireless work of those tasked with looking after these important national assets.

“We know beyond doubt that our local environment contributes to the well-being of individuals and communities, with our parks and green spaces recognised as areas where people can come together and be active. Research shows that time spent in green spaces can positively affect mental and physical health, quality of life, and a sense of well-being.

“We believe the standards expected in the Green Flag Award should be a minimum for every park, and it is our ambition that by 2030 we increase the number of sites achieving Green Flag Award status even further so that people across England, wherever they live, can access and enjoy safe, high-quality green space.”

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