Welsh parks recognised as the ‘best of the best’

This year’s Green Flag success has continued with the 2024 Best of the Best and People’s Choice Awards.

Five Welsh schemes won Best of the Best titles at a UK-wide virtual awards ceremony on 14 November.

The accolades reward staff, volunteers and projects that have made a real difference in some of the UK’s 2,227 Green Flag sites.

Van Ward Allotments in Caerphilly were recognised for their efforts to increase ‘Use by Women and Girls’.

Research shows women and girls are less likely to use public spaces due primarily to concerns about safety, which impacts their health and wellbeing.

Over the past two years, volunteers from Van Ward Allotments have made it their mission to encourage more women and girls to enjoy their green space. They’ve created smaller, more accessible growing areas, developed a weekly ‘welcome space’ to tackle loneliness and food poverty, and set up a walking group to boost people’s wellbeing. As a result, membership has increased by a staggering 300%.

Our other ‘Best of the Best’ winners were:

Heritage Project – Penllergare Valley Woods, Swansea

Employee of the Year – Theresa Heal, Ynys Hywel Farm Allotment, Caerphilly

Volunteer Team of the Year (Wales) – Friends of Wern Mynach, Gwynedd

Young Volunteers – Maes Y Pant Woods Duke of Edinburgh Volunteers, Wrexham

Having access to free, high-quality parks and green spaces should never be taken for granted. We can all enjoy these wonderful places because of the dedication of staff and volunteers across Wales. The Best of the Best awards shine a spotlight on some of the incredible projects taking place at our Green Flag sites. We want to congratulate our worthy winners on their fantastic achievement.

Lucy Prisk
Green Flag Coordinator

Welsh sites named in UK top ten

More good news followed, with the announcement of the People’s Choice Top 10.

Over 21,000 members of the public cast their vote naming Margam Country Park and Gardd Enfys in their top ten favourite green spaces in the UK. 

It’s the eleventh year that Margam Country Park in Neath Port Talbot has been crowned a People’s Choice winner – a truly incredible achievement.

Meanwhile, Gardd Enfys in Ceredigion have shot straight into the top ten after achieving their very first Green Flag Community Award in July!

Visit your local Green Flag site

Wherever you see a Green Flag flying, you know you’re visiting an exceptional place with the highest standards.

We run the scheme in Wales with support from Welsh Government.

There are 291 Green Flag sites across the county – find your nearest by visiting our map.

Go to the map

Join the Green Flag family  

Do you look after a great quality park or green space? Does your group or team deserve international recognition? You can apply now for Green Flag Award or Green Flag Community Award!

To find out more and apply, visit our Green Flag for Parks pages

(Applications close at the end of January)