History dating back two decades
The Green Flag Award® Scheme was launched in England in 1996 and presented its first awards in 1997.
Initially, the scheme ran the Green Flag Award® for parks/green spaces, it now also operates the Green Flag Community Award (formally Green Pennant Award®) for spaces managed by voluntary and community groups and Green Heritage Site Accreditation for spaces with local or national historic interest.
The Scheme was directed by a Steering Group made up of individuals and representatives of larger organisations. The Steering Group was led by Mark Davis of the Pesticides Action Network UK, who worked closely with the following individuals to develop and drive the Scheme forward in these early years.
- Nick Reeves - ILAM (The Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management) and then of CIWEM (The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management)
- Ken McAnespie - KMC Consultancy
- George Barker - English Nature
- Allan Tyler - Independent consultant
In later years, Nick Reeves succeeded Mark Davis as the Chair of the Green Flag Award Steering Group and the group also benefited from the involvement of:
- Liz Greenhalgh - Independent consultant
- Issy Cole-Hamilton - the Children’s Play Council
- David Knight - English Nature
- James Emmett - ILAM
- Roselyn McKendry - the Pesticides Action Network UK
- Pat Kilburn - representative of the Green Flag Award Judges
- Peter Matthew - Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (now Communities and Local Government)
- Len Croney
- John Newton
- Ian Baggott
- Mike Rowan
Key Dates
2010 A record number of sites were awarded Green Flag Awards and Green Pennant Awards with just over 1200 parks and green spaces receiving the award.
2009 The Green Flag Plus Partnership, a consortium comprising Keep Britain Tidy, British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) and GreenSpace, is awarded the contract to run the Green Flag Award Scheme.
2007 The programme starts being piloted in Scotland in conjunction with Green Space Scotland.
2003 The Green Flag Award Steering Group gifts the scheme to the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
2003 The Green Heritage Site Accreditation is launched, with the support of English Heritage.
2002 The Green Pennant Award® Scheme is launched in England and Wales.
2002 The Green Flag Award® Scheme expands into Wales, with the backing of the Countryside Council for Wales.
1997 The first Green Flag Awards® are presented to parks/green spaces in England and Wales.
1996 The Green Flag Award® Scheme is launched in England.