Hat-trick for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council as beauty spots awarded Green Flag status

Three of Mid and East Antrim’s parks and open spaces have been awarded Green Flag status at the 2022 Green Flag awards.

The Green Flag is an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open spaces.

Organised and run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, the Green Flag Awards continue to go from strength to strength, with ninety-three parks and open spaces receiving Green Flag status for 2022.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council picked up three of the much-coveted accolades, with Carnfunnock County Park, Ecos Nature Park and Eden Allotment Gardens being awarded Green Flag status.

Deputy Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Beth Adger MBE, congratulated everyone who has played a part in ensuring Council’s parks and green spaces are among the best in Northern Ireland. She said: “We are blessed with an amazing choice of open spaces and beautiful outdoor areas across our borough.

“From the local volunteers to the Council teams, everyone has an essential role to play and it is this commitment and hard work that has been rewarded with these fabulous Green Flag Awards.

“My thanks and appreciation are extended to you all, and I hope everyone enjoys and appreciates these amazing locations.”

The Green Flag Awards are judged annually by a panel of experts, who volunteer their time to assess the management plans and the applicant sites through a rigorous judging process.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, which manages the local Green Flag Awards programme, said: “Urban parks are one of the Victorian era’s great achievements and their relevance and importance continue today. Communities across the country value their local parks enormously and their potential to support biodiversity is being increasingly recognised. They’re not just spaces for us, they’re spaces for nature.

“When you visit a Green Flag site you can be reassured that the location is being managed to a really high standard as they’ve been through a rigorous judging process that assesses sites across a range of issues including their horticultural standards, cleanliness, biodiversity and safety. 

"It’s so encouraging, this year, to see councils, organisations and communities implementing such a wide variety of measures to help our pollinating insects which are severely under pressure. Some of the initiatives are bold and some are subtle, but all show great commitment to working with nature for the benefit of the environment and us all; and at time when many people’s finances are under pressure, it’s important to highlight the fact that all Green Flag spaces are free to everyone.”