Seven parks and cemeteries across Manchester are celebrating this week having found out their Green Flag status has been secured once more.
The Green Flag Awards mark the pinnacle of achievement for green spaces in the UK.
Setting the international benchmark for excellence, the awards look to celebrate places where people feel safe and welcome, where biodiversity is protected and enhanced and where members of the local community can feel their needs are being met.
Manchester City Council is proud to announce the following locations have retained their Green Flag Status:
- Manchester General Cemetery
These awards shed light on the range of groups, volunteers and staff which devote themselves year-round to the maintenance and upkeep of these areas.
From keeping our cemeteries pristine and peaceful places where families can pay their respects, to ensuring that our parks can act as oases in the midst of our urban environment, we are incredibly proud to share this achievement with the communities that make these places special.
In the past year alone we have seen Manchester Southern Cemetery be designated a as local nature reserve, recognising the important role it plays in its local ecosystem.
Heaton Park is firmly on the map as one of the leading event spaces in the UK, hosting millions of people every year who come to get a taste of Manchester’s musical culture, as well as enjoying the acres of green space that it’s a pleasure to get lost in.
With an estimated 3.2m people visiting Heaton Park alone over the past year, it is safe to say that a huge value is placed on maintaining a range of green space throughout the city.
We are also working to ensure our neighbourhoods are cleaner and greener which is why the Council was incredibly pleased to open a cycleway – 32 miles in length – which links Manchester and Salford in a near contiguous loop.
Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods, said: “I am so proud of everyone whose work led to our retention of this prestigious award.
“Parks and cemeteries play a hugely significant role in the ebb and flow of our daily lives and I am so pleased to see our colleagues and stakeholders rewarded in this way.
“Whether it is the friends-of groups which play an important role in the running of Alexandra Park, to the business owners that help people enjoy our green spaces, to our partners who help us put on events and attractions all year round, these Green Flags are something everyone should be proud of.”
