University Park, the main campus at The University of Nottingham is one of the best in the country — and that’s official!
Today (July 25th), the University will receive its 9th consecutive Green Flag Award, a sign to visitors that its main campus is a high-quality, environmentally sustainable green space, well-maintained, well-managed and with excellent facilities.
Nottingham was the first university to win a Green Flag for its parks and gardens; even nine years later it remains the only one to achieve this. In 2010 it received a prestigious Green Gown award for its sustainable grounds management work.
University Park is one of a record number of parks and green spaces receiving the Green Flag Award this year, ensuring that even more of us now have access to well-managed, high-quality green spaces.
In 2011, 1,288 parks and green spaces will fly either the Green Flag or Community Award, a sign that the value of green space is widely acknowledged as vital to our communities.
The University’s Grounds Manager, Desmond O’Grady, said: “Our Grounds focus is based on sustainability in our operations and engagement with our communities. Success has been delivered through an excellent grounds team, an enthusiastic Friends Group and ongoing University support. The Grounds and Gardens Team are delighted to continue to achieve a standard seldom achieved in the education sector.
“Our community initiatives during the year have included a Picnic in the Park, the Community Open Day and organised gardens and wildlife tours for local people. Volunteers from the Friends Group, staff and students have helped deliver high quality restoration projects and events. All these have contributed to the University’s continued success in this important national award. We’re grateful to everyone who contributed to achieving this continued national recognition.”
University Park is Nottingham’s largest campus at 300 acres. Part of the University since 1929, the campus is widely regarded as one of the largest and most attractive in the country. Set in extensive greenery and around a lake, with long-established woodland and contemporary gardens, it is the focus of life for students, staff and visitors. Its Biodiversity Plan is central to further enhancing flora and fauna on the campus.
Phil Barton, Green Flag Plus Partnership chairman said: “I would like to congratulate this year’s winners, who have worked hard throughout the year to keep their parks and green spaces at a high standard and ensure they are pleasant and enjoyable spaces for the whole community.
“The Green Flag Award Scheme, and its growth, is essential in driving up the standards of our parks and green spaces. Access to quality green space is something we all desire and the scheme plays a key role in providing it.
“In these challenging financial times it is heartening that the number of Green Flag Awards continue to grow. As the value of green space and the role it plays in our communities strengthens, we must ensure these high standards remain.”
All award-winning sites now have the chance to receive a further award from the Green Flag Plus Partnership, the People’s Choice Award. This award is voted for by the public, so if you want to see your local park receive a national accolade as the people’s choice, then visit the Green Flag Award website now to register your vote.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
The Green Flag Award Scheme is managed by a consortium, comprising Keep Britain Tidy, BTCV and GreenSpace. Known collectively as the Green Flag Plus Partnership, the consortium manages the scheme in England on behalf of Communities and Local Government (CLG) and in Wales for the Welsh Steering Group.
Green Flag Award recognises well managed, high quality green spaces. Any green space is eligible to win this award providing visitors can enter free of charge. Previous winners include parks managed by local authorities as well as those run by community groups and trusts. The scheme was set up in 1996.
In 2011 1,288 parks and green spaces have been awarded the Green Flag and Community Award.
Green Flag’s vision is that by 2020, 50 per cent of green spaces in England and Wales will be of Green Flag standard — a staggering 15,000 sites.
The University’s Grounds programmes are integral to its Environmental Strategy — see www.nottingham.ac.uk/sustainability for more information.
The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘Europe’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, a league table of the world’s most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions, which ranked Nottingham second in the world overall.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 40,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power. The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.
More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news
For more information visit:
www.greenflagaward.org.uk
www.keepbritaintidy.org
www.communities.gov.uk
www.green-space.org.uk
www.btcv.org
www.greengownawards.org.uk/welcome/