Planting Places Local Greenspace Award Winners Announced
17/02/2011 21:54The winners of Sustainability South West’s fourth annual Planting Places Awards have been announced! The awards celebrate top examples of greenspace from across the South West of England. They recognise the huge array of benefits that these spaces – and the hard-working people who look after them – have in supporting healthy, sustainable communities.
The ten winners are:
• Ashton Gate Triangle (Bristol)
• South Milton Sands (South Hams, Devon)
• BTCV Tree Life Centre (Kingswood, S. Gloucestershire)
• Guys & Hylton Allotments - pictured (Exeter)
• Brunswick Cemetery Gardens (Bristol)
• Yeo Valley Community Woodland (Barnstaple)
• King George V Memorial Walk (Hayle, Cornwall)
• Springfield Park (Cheltenham)
• Greens Community Garden (Withywood, Bristol)
• Forches Community Garden (Barnstaple, North Devon)
The annual awards have once again highlighted the wealth of green (and blue!) spaces across the region – from gardens, allotments, woodlands and walkways to a coastal landscaping project. Whether led by communities themselves or managed by a local authority or charity, all the Planting Places Award winners show how much can be achieved when local people get involved in their green spaces. In addition to the ten winners above, three runner-up entries have also been specially commended: Bury Meadow Park (Exeter), City Jigsaw Garden (Plymouth) and Chegwyn Gardens (St. Agnes, Cornwall).
Planting Places Project Manager Lynn Gibbons explains what the awards are all about, “These awards celebrate the importance of green spaces to both urban and rural communities and show the amazing things they can deliver – from supporting local wildlife to helping people to unwind, keep fit and learn new skills. What’s been particularly heartening this year is what can be achieved when people work together – from local authorities partnering with communities to small charities working with large companies. It seems the value of green spaces is being recognised by all sorts of people!”
Awards judge Naomi Wright of Natural England, Planting Places partner added, "It was fantastic to see how many different green and natural places across the region are being managed brilliantly by communities. They have volunteered hours of time. The benefit for people and wildlife has been huge and will last for years to come.”
All the winners will be invited to an awards ceremony to be held in Taunton in April as part of a ‘community greenspace’ event. Case studies of all the winners will also be available on the Planting Places website – www.plantingplaces.org.uk .
© 2012 Sustainability South West - UK registered charity, no. 1106125 - info@sustainabilitysouthwest.org.uk.