Volunteers and teams behind winning parks receive accolade

It comes after a record-breaking 2,250 parks and green spaces achieved the Green Flag Award - the international quality mark for parks and green spaces – this year, with successful submissions from local authorities and other land managers across the country for a range of sites, from world-famous city parks to small, local green spaces. 

The national charity’s Best of the Best Awards recognise the unsung heroes behind the success of these beautiful green spaces, with a jury making the tough decision of who meets the criteria for each category. 

This year’s winners have been announced as: 

• Best Love Parks Week Event – Weymouth Town Council
• Best Initiative to Increase Usage by Women and Girls – Forster Memorial Park (Friends of Forster Memorial Park and Lewisham Council) for creating a safe and welcoming space for girls
• Best Health Initiative – joint winners
  • Corby Growing project – Coronation Park (North Northamptonshire Council)
  • Growing Together Basildon – Growing together Basildon (Trustlinks)
• Young Volunteer of the Year – Ethan Dando - LCDP Llanharan Community Development Project
• Best Biodiversity / Habitat Creation Project - Gnollywood and Meadow – Gnoll Country Park (Neath Port Talbot Council)
• Best Promotion of Heritage Value - Aden Restoration and Redevelopment, Aden Country Park (Aberdeenshire Council)
• Volunteer of the Year – Joanne Cheek, Bedgrove Park (Buckinghamshire Council)
• Volunteer Team of the Year – joint winners
  • Friends of St Peters Berkhamsted, Rectory Lane Cemetery
  • Friends of Antrim Castle Gardens, Clotworthy Courtyard at Antrim Castle Gardens
• Team of the Year – Park Staff – Hyndburn Parks Team
• Employee of the Year – Garry Wilson, Falkirk Council 

Commenting on the results, Green Flag Award Manager Paul Todd MBE said: “Parks and green spaces provide crucial benefits to people, pets and wildlife, including space to exercise, socialise, and improve mental and physical wellbeing - and they continue to play a part in helping us mitigate and adapt to some of the effects of our changing climate.   

“We know that our Green Flag winning sites most likely would not have achieved these high standards without the hard work of staff, volunteers and other groups around the UK who look after them. 

"It’s only right that we continue to recognise the tireless work by the thousands of parks staff and volunteers to make their parks and green spaces safe and healthy places everyone can benefit from. We’d like to congratulate all of our worthy Best of the Best winners on their achievements.” 

Members of the park-loving public have also revealed their top ten favourite Green Flag Award parks as part of the charity’s 2025 People’s Choice Awards, with thousands of people casting their vote.  

The ten most popular parks and green spaces have been announced as: 

• Beacon Park - Lichfield District Council – Staffordshire, England
• Gardd Enfys - Gardd Enfys Community – Wales
• Margam Park - Neath Port Talbot Local Authority – Wales
• Gnoll Park - Neath Port Talbot Local Authority – Wales
• Swansea University Singleton Campus – Swansea University
• Victoria Park (Tower Hamlets) - London Borough of Tower Hamlets
• Warley Woods – Warley Woods Community Trust
• Wilton Lodge Park – Scottish Borders Council
• Worden Park – South Ribble Borough Council
• Cassiobury Park – Watford Borough Council 

Paul added: "This special recognition from the public is testament to the tireless work by the thousands of parks staff and volunteers up and down the country to make their parks and green spaces wonderful places everyone can enjoy and benefit from. 

“Congratulations to our worthy winners on their incredible achievement.”