Green Flag Community Award

The Green Flag Community Award celebrates the efforts of dedicated volunteer groups, such as 'Friends of' groups, who work tirelessly to manage and enhance their local green spaces. This internationally recognised award provides a fantastic framework for improving your site and gaining the recognition you deserve. 

For community groups: Get the recognition your deserve

The Community Award is designed specifically for volunteer-run green spaces. Achieving the flag provides: 

Recognition: Official acknowledgement of your group’s commitment, skills, and hard work in environmental management. 

Motivation: A clear framework and set of standards to guide your planning and motivate existing and future volunteers. 

Clout: A valuable tool for attracting funding, new partners, and demonstrating the quality of your site to the wider community. 

For local authorities: support your volunteer champions 

Local authorities play a crucial role in supporting community-managed sites. Promoting the Green Flag Community Award is a simple way to: 

Empowerment: Provide a recognised, expert framework for your 'Friends of' groups to structure their work and achieve measurable success. 

Consistency: Encourage high, sustainable standards of maintenance and environmental practice across local volunteer-led sites. 

Partnership: Strengthen the collaboration and sense of shared ownership between the council and community groups. 

The 7 key pillars of a green flag site 

The award framework is based on seven core criteria that ensure a high-quality green space for everyone. By addressing these areas, you demonstrate excellence in every aspect of your site management: 

A welcoming place: Ensuring good and safe access, clear signage, and that the site is inviting to all members of the community. 

Healthy, safe and secure: Maintaining appropriate facilities, promoting personal security, managing dog control and fouling effectively, and encouraging healthy lifestyles. 

Well maintained and clean: Demonstrating an appropriate standard of maintenance throughout, with effective strategies for combating litter, fouling, waste, graffiti and vandalism. 

Environmental management: Using sustainable practices, which includes minimising waste, careful use of peat and pesticides and use of sustainable materials. 

Biodiversity, landscape and heritage: Identifying and actively enhancing the natural, landscape, and historic features that give your green space its unique character. 

Community involvement (crucial for the Community Award): This is key. Judges look for how well the site relates to, involves and encompasses the local and wider community in its planning and activities. 

Management/achievements: Demonstrating effective management, successful resource and funding acquisition, and innovative, creative project delivery. 

Ready to see your community's hard work fly the Green Flag? 

Visit the Green Flag Award website today to learn more about the award criteria and how to apply. 

Green Flag Award website