Our parks - winning awards in 2021!

This week Red Cross Garden, Tate Community Garden and Waterloo Green won accolades in the world of green space and parks awards. These awards recognise high standards in the upkeep of parks and are a well deserved acknowledgment of the hard and tireless work of our gardens team and volunteers. We are delighted to receive both London in Bloom and Green Flag awards this week after detailed judging in the summer.

Red Cross Garden and Tate Community Garden won GOLD in London in Bloom, while Waterloo Green won Silver Gilt. We also received a Silver Gilt for Bankside as an Urban Community Area alongside Better Bankside and Southwark Council.

Visiting Red Cross earlier this year London in Bloom judges noted:

“Even the soggy and grey morning couldn’t diminish the atmosphere of this splendid and well-loved local park; small but perfectly formed. Originally gifted to the borough by one of the Founders of the National Trust Octavia Hill. Brimming with historical interest, Noel Coward used to play to the residents here.”

Of Tate Modern Community Garden, the judges commented:

“…the garden is a sanctuary for people and wildlife and takes you on an intriguing journey down its winding path, it is at the same time exciting, bursting with life and calming and relaxing. Tate Modern Community Garden packs in a lot of horticulture, wildlife, sustainability, quirky features, crafts and community engagement and is well deserving a gold medal!”

Red Cross Garden and Waterloo Green then won Green Flag Community Awards as the scheme celebrates 25 years as the international quality mark for parks. The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world. Any green space that is freely accessible to the public is eligible to enter for a Green Flag Award. Awards are given on an annual basis and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Flag Award status.