Green Flags awarded to 180 Welsh parks and green spaces

Wepre Park and Greenfield Heritage Park delighted to achieve the Green Flag Award, the global mark of a quality park and green space. This Award recognises and highlights the value we put on our parks and green spaces, they are such an important part of people's lives and well-being in Nottingham.

South Marine Park in South Shields.

It comes as a record number of green spaces in the United Kingdom have been given the award this year, with 1,797 meeting the high standard for a good quality park.

Award manager Paul Todd said: "Each flag is a celebration of the thousands of staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award".

This global award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that a space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent facilities.

In total, 183 parks and green spaces in Wales have met the high standard needed to receive the coveted Green Flag Award or the Green Flag Community Award.

Green Flags awarded to 180 Welsh parks and green spaces

Summerhill and Ward Jackson Park in Hartlepool have both scooped the 2017 Green Flag Award, along with Horden Welfare Park, Horden Memorial Park and Hardwick Park in Sedgefield.

This week is also Love Parks Week, when millions of people will be out enjoying activities from pond-dipping to zumba in parks of all sizes across the country.

The Green Flag Awards recognise that well-maintained parks build healthy and stable comm-unities and bring health benefits such as encouraging exercise, imp-roving mental wellbeing and inspiring children to play.

Ms Ogden-Newton added: "But we can not be complacent. We know that budgets are being squeezed in local authorities across the country and we must be vigilant to ensure that everyone, where ever they live, has access to the very best parks and green spaces".

Run by Keep Britain Tidy, the campaign encourages people think about their park, share why they love it and celebrate the diversity of activities that happen every day of the year in parks.