September 25, 2014 12.37 pm This story is over 113 months old

Lincoln parks achieve tenth and seventh Green Flag status

Award-winning green spaces: Hartsholme Country Park in Lincoln and The Arboretum are celebrating after receiving Green Flag status.

Hartsholme Country Park in Lincoln will host a special flag-raising ceremony after achieving a prestigious Green Flag award for the seventh year in a row.

This year will also mark the tenth Green Flag achievement for The Arboretum on Monks Road, which had a £3 million refurbishment in 2003.

The Hartsholme ceremony will be held on October 2 in order to thank local volunteers and the local community for their help to maintain the park’s standards.

Attending the ceremony, which runs from 3pm until 4pm at the Visitor Centre, will be the Mayor of Lincoln, Councillor Brent Charlesworth.

Linked with the Keep Britain Tidy campaign, the Green Flag Award is the national award for parks and green spaces.

To win the award, green spaces must be judged as welcoming, safe and well maintained with strong involvement from their local communities.

Ruth Simons, Senior Conservation Ranger at Hartsholme Country Park, said: “Staff and volunteers at Hartsholme Country Park are delighted that the park has once again been recognised by the Green Flag award scheme.

“Our goal is not only to maintain standards but also make improvements to ensure the park continues to thrive as an excellent open space for visitors to enjoy.”

Caroline Bird, Community Services Manager at the City of Lincoln Council, said: “People in Lincoln are very passionate about their parks and green spaces and we’re committed to maintaining and improving them.

“Hartsholme County Park and the Arboretum are two of our most popular parks and we’re proud they continue to be awarded the Green Flag, recognising the excellent parks we have here in Lincoln.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many volunteers who have helped to ensure that these spaces provide a welcoming, clean and safe environment for our visitors and residents to enjoy.”

Another of the council’s green spaces, Boultham Park, is currently undergoing a £3.7 million restoration project with grant aid from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund Parks for People programme.