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305 schools across NI will be awarded prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flags this year, bringing the total number of schools flying Green Flags up to 563, or just over 50% of all schools in Northern Ireland.

Eco-Schools is an international programme, managed locally by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. Eco-Schools is run in 79 countries through Foundation for Environmental Education. Of these 79 countries, Northern Ireland is only the second country to achieve this impressive milestone.

Charlene McKeown, Environmental Education Manager at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said:

“Reaching 50% of schools flying a Green Flag is a huge milestone for environmental education and is a testament to the hard work of pupils, teachers and wider school communities across Northern Ireland.

We all know that our education system is under pressure with tight budgets and limited resources. That is why it is so heartening to see so many schools investing time and effort into this programme- it's is a clear indicator that schools see the value of environmental education. I hope over the coming years we can go further in developing this part of our curriculum."

Schools will collect their Green Flags at a series of awards ceremonies this month- the culmination of 2 years of hard work for winning schools.

Achieving a Green Flag requires schools to participate in a challenging seven stage programme, beginning with the establishment of a pupil-led Eco-Committee, and leading to the development of a school Eco-Code. Along the way the Eco-Committee must carry out a full environmental review of their school, develop a detailed action plan and monitor its implementation. Schools fly their flags for two years before they must reapply.

Emma Craig, a teacher at Bocombra Primary School, and this year’s Eco-Teacher of the year for Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area said:

“Being awarded our 4th Green Flag is a moment of immense pride and we are delighted to be recognised as a school where environmental learning and action are part of our daily routine. For staff, it recognises their dedication and willingness to embed environmental values into their teaching and for pupils, it is a lovely reward for their hard work. Environmental education is not only about protecting the planet—it’s about nurturing capable and conscientious individuals and by being involved in projects such as developing our outdoor learning, pupils will develop important life skills while spending more time outdoors, even in all weathers!”

The Eco-Schools programme in NI is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir, who was not in attendance at the event, said: “Eco-Schools is an international programme that brings the environment into the classroom. Getting pupils outdoors to learn about their environment is a great boost for their wellbeing and has many positive outcomes for their community.

"I want to congratulate all those schools receiving green flags this month and pay tribute to the hard work of teachers and pupils alike. I am delighted that this year, we have reached a milestone of 50% of schools in Northern Ireland now flying a green flag. It is encouraging to see the strong environmental knowledge and awareness within these school communities, as younger people will play a vital role in shaping a sustainable future for us all.”

Northern Ireland has a long history of being a trailblazer in the Eco-Schools programme. Downpatrick Nursery was the first school in the world to achieve a Green Flag in 1994.

Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) operate Eco-Schools globally, Dr. Pramod Kumar Sharma, Senior Director of Education for Eco-Schools commented:

"Congratulations to everyone in Northern Ireland’s Eco-Schools community on this incredible achievement! 50% of your schools now hold a Green Flag! This is a powerful reflection of your passion, dedication, and hard work to create a more sustainable future. You’re not just making a difference locally; you’re also setting an example for Eco-Schools around the world. We’re so proud to have you as part of our global Eco-Schools community.”

—

ENDS

The physical and mental health benefits of our green spaces were celebrated at the annual Green Flag Awards in Lisburn. The green heroes from 11 council areas across Northern Ireland, Queens University, Belfast, and the Department of Finance were recognised today for the pivotal work they do in maintaining the spaces for the public to run, walk, and spend family time in.

This year, the focus of the awards is celebrating the physical and mental health benefits that we get from using our local parks and green spaces. The awards are taking place during Love Parks Week, which runs from 26th July to 4th August 2024, which highlights the role green spaces play in boosting the health and wellbeing of residents and communities.

Our guest speaker, Dr. William Bird MBE, knows first-hand the benefits of a strong park network. Dr Bird has pioneered the concept of social prescribing by setting up the first Health Walk scheme, closely followed by the first Green Gym. He quickly found that companionship and contact with nature were major driving forces in keeping people active. The Green Flag programme sets international standards for our parks to strive toward and the record number of awards this year speaks directly to the high standards that the public can enjoy locally and their importance in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

112 awards were presented this year to parks and open spaces including 71 Green Flags, 34 community Green Flags and 7 Heritage Awards.

The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open spaces and is increasingly sought after in Northern Ireland since the local programme opened in 2008.

Carol Forster Head of Business Development of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful which manages the local Green Flag Awards programme, said;

“Prioritising parks and open spaces is vital for our future and so we are delighted to see a milestone 105 sites in Northern Ireland meeting the required standards, representing over 4% of the sites globally achieving the prestigious international Green Flag award. These spaces provide vital opportunities to improve the physical and mental health of communities, provide havens for biodiversity, offer spaces where people can connect with nature and are a critical component of our green infrastructure. On behalf of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, I offer my congratulations to all of the park staff and community volunteers who devote much time and care to maintain these spaces for us all to enjoy. I want to encourage everyone this summer to take the opportunity to visit some of our beautiful green flag sites and enjoy these gems on our doorstep here in Northern Ireland”

The Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister, Andrew Muir MLA, said;

I am proud to support the Green Flags for Parks Awards programme and it is encouraging to see the increase in the number of parks providing quality green spaces that can be accessed by citizens and visitors alike. Our local parks provide a direct and vital link to our natural environment giving us all the opportunity to spend time outside in the fresh air and re-connect with nature. Our parks not only provide us with healthy spaces to live and relax, they also provide green corridors between wildlife-rich habitats, contributing to the wider nature recovery network that supports all our efforts to make Northern Ireland 'nature positive’.

Congratulations to the award winners today and I thank you for your tireless work that allows us all to fully enjoy the fantastic physical and mental health benefits offered by our parks and green spaces.

Notes to Editors

To view the full list of Green Flag Award winners for Northern Ireland, visit www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/greenflagaward.

The unsung heroes of Northern Ireland’s best loved parks and green spaces were today encouraged to continue making space for nature at the annual Green Flag awards. Keynote speaker, wildlife cameraman, Colin Stafford-Johnson, whose rewilding of his childhood garden captivated audiences on BBC Two last autumn, said that he is no longer interested in planting anything but native species. Stafford-Johnson, who has worked on landmark series like Planet Earth, and whose father, Barney Johnson was Ireland’s first TV gardener, said that things are changing and people are now seeing the beauty and ecological value of wild spaces that would once have been regarded as ‘untidy’.

Parks receiving Green Flags at the ceremony included old favourites like Belfast Botanic Gardens, Kilbroney in Rostrevor and Carnfunnock in Larne as well as community spaces like Rathfern Activity Centre, Newtownabbey and Toome Linear Park in Antrim. There were also some impressive new entries such as from Ark Community Gardens in Newcastle.

This year also saw the very first special Pollinator Award category for parks which had achieved green flag status but were also implementing habitat creation and restoration measures for pollinating insects which will, in turn, benefit all wildlife. This was achieved in a number of ways including pollinator friendly planting schemes, no mow meadow areas, introducing native hedgerows and native tree planting, eliminating the use of pesticides and herbicide, providing signage on the importance of sites for pollinators, and engaging with the wider community.

Ninety-three parks and open spaces have been recognised with a Green Flag Award for 2022, including 18 community managed sites and 8 heritage award sites.

The winner in the category that recognises sites managed by larger, formal organisations (organisation category) was Castle Park and Walled Garden in Bangor, and the winner of the community pollinator award was Clotworthy Courtyard Garden, managed by Friends of Antrim Castle and Gardens.

Three other awards were given to Billy Neill MBE Country Park which was Highly Commended, and Queens University Belfast and Grange Park, Omagh which were both Commended.

The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open spaces and is increasingly sought after in Northern Ireland since the local programme opened in 2008.

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.”

Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, MLA, who attended the event, commended the good work being done by so many park managers to improve conditions for pollinators, saying;

“It’s very encouraging to see the growing awareness about the importance of pollinators and biodiversity generally within our local communities. The huge interest in my department’s pollinator grants, which were aimed at schools and community groups have undoubtedly helped to spread awareness about this important issue. Parks are where many of our citizens go for outdoor relaxation and exercise and there is huge potential for these spaces to set aside wild areas in which nature can thrive. I commend the work of all of our Green Flag award winners.”

If you are interested in finding out more about the Green Flag Award or other programmes run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful (Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Live Here Love Here) please e-mail us on enquiries@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org call us on 028 9073 6920 or visit our website www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

~ Park fans encouraged to branch out this autumn! ~

Fans of Northern Ireland’s many popular parks and open spaces have been waiting to hear if their favourite place has received a coveted Green Flag Award for 2021.

Today, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, the environmental charity that runs the international awards locally, revealed a list of old favourites and new entrants, reflecting the many types of open spaces that are used and cherished by local communities. 84 parks and open spaces have been recognised with a Green Flag Award for 2021, including 4 new Green Flag Awards, 1 new Community Award and 1 new Green Flag Heritage Award.

The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open spaces and is increasingly sought after in Northern Ireland, with a 27-fold increase in participants since the local programme opened in 2008.

Rachel Vaughan, who manages the Green Flag Awards programme, said she hoped people would use the awards as an incentive to visit some new places in one of the nicest seasons of the year. She said;

“We all love a walk through the autumn leaves and it’s uplifting to discover a new spot to enjoy. When you visit a Green Flag park or open space 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. 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.”

Parks and open spaces play a hugely important role in supporting the health and wellbeing of local communities and come in many shapes and sizes. The expert judges, who are all volunteers themselves, were delighted to include several community spaces in this year’s selection, which are also run and managed by volunteers at a local level. These include: Shellinghill Park and Millennium Path, Sentry Hill Community Garden, Footprints Women’s Centre, Rathfern Activity Centre, Toome Linear Walk and Ballyeaston Church Ruin.

Special Green Flag Heritage Awards were presented to Stormont Estate and Park, Brooke Park, Sentry Hill Historic House and Visitor Centre, Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House, Queen’s University Belfast, Warrenpoint Municipal Park, Newry Canal and Belfast Botanic Gardens. These sites are making the most of unique heritage features, which enhance the experience of visitors to their sites.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will be celebrating our award-winning parks and open spaces through a social media campaign the week beginning Monday 11 October. Please consider following us on Twitter and Facebook to see the impact of our programme

Full list of winners can be found here https://www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/cgi-bin/generic?instanceID=28

If you are interested in finding out further information about the Green Flag Award or other programmes run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful please e-mail us on enquiries@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org call us on 028 9073 6920 or check out our website www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

78 of the best managed parks and open spaces in Northern Ireland have be recognised with a Green Flag Award.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, the environmental charity that runs the scheme in Northern Ireland, revealed an ever growing and diverse number of free to enjoy places that have been awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award. The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open spaces.

This year more people that ever took the opportunity to enjoy parks and open spaces across Northern Ireland. For many these sites provided an essential service during lockdown, offering up safe space to exercise and connect with nature. Access to quality recreational space has a number of benefits for people in Northern including improved physical and mental health and the opportunity to learn about our environment.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said:

“Northern Ireland’s parks and open spaces play a hugely important role in supporting our local communities, both in terms of providing recreational space but also for supporting health and wellbeing. This has been highlighted now more than ever as our parks and open spaces provided a haven to many during the difficult lockdown period. It is fantastic to see such a high number of sites in Northern Ireland meeting the international standard for excellence.”

Parks and open spaces wishing to achieve Green Flag status must have a site management plan in place and be able to demonstrate they comply with a range of strict criteria including horticultural standards, cleanliness, environmental management, biodiversity, community involvement and safety standards. The 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.

For the 2020/21 season, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful saw a continued increase in public parks, gardens, country parks, cemeteries and green spaces meeting the demanding standards.

Stormont Estate was amongst 7 sites which also received a Green Flag Heritage Award. This award recognises the parks and open spaces which celebrate and promote the elements of their heritage that make them unique. The other parks recognised with a Heritage award were; Antrim Castle Gardens, Brooke Park, Belfast Botanic Gardens, Queen’s University Belfast, Sentry Hill Historic House and Visitor Centre and Warrenpoint Municiple Park.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful also celebrates The Green Flag Community Award, which recognises sites managed and maintained by loyal volunteers working at a local level. This year Shellinghill Park and Millennium Path received its first Green Flag Community Award alongside Ballyeaston Church Ruin, Rathfern Activity Centre, Sentry Hill Community Garden and Toome Linear Park.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will be celebrating our award winning parks and open spaces through a social media campaign the week beginning Monday 12 October. Please consider following us on Twitter and Facebook to see the impact of our programme

If you are interested in finding out further information about the Green Flag Award or other programmes run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful please e-mail us on enquiries@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org or check out our website www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

Northern Ireland schools continue to excel in the international Eco-Schools programme, achieving a record number of Green Flag awards for the 6th consecutive year and awarding their 1000th Green Flag.

Eco-Schools is the world's leading environmental education programme. It is a pupil-led initiative with the aim to make environmental awareness and practical action an intrinsic part of school life.

Eco-Schools is operated by environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, which is dedicated to inspiring everyone to help make Northern Ireland a cleaner, greener and healthier place in which to live. The programme which has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

This year marked a landmark moment when Walker Memorial Primary School, Dungannon, received their first Green Flag and Northern Ireland’s 1000th Green Flag.

Diane Lockhart, Eco-Coordinator at Walker Memorial Primary School said: “The children were totally delighted that we got the 1000th Green Flag. All pupils are very involved with the areas of the Eco-Committee’s action plan it has brought these areas of learning alive. Pupils are highly motivated, inspired and focused to partake in lessons related to Eco-Schools. The programme provides pupils with another avenue of learning, those who are more practical and creative thrive on being involved in identifying the needs of the school and sharing their ideas for future action.”

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful added:

With support from the Department, Local Councils and many other partners, Eco-Schools is engaging our young people, who will be the next generation of business and political leaders, in developing eco-friendly behaviours that also help our economy. The programme is growing every year with more and more schools and young people making a real, tangible and positive impact on our environment through saving energy, reducing waste, picking up litter, travelling sustainably, providing biodiversity habitats and much more. Congratulations to Walker Memorial and all our schools who have achieved their Green Flag award; together we have reached this landmark 1000th Green Flag.’

This school year 149 schools achieved the prestigious, internationally recognised Green Flag award in recognition of the excellent progress they have been making in protecting the environment and moving towards a more sustainable future. The first Green Flag in the world was awarded to Downpatrick Nursery School in 1994. Since then the programme has consistently grown. There has been a year-on-year increase in the number of schools achieving the award for the 7th year in a row - increasing from 55 in 2010/11 to 97 in 2011/12; 103 in 2012/13; 114 in 2013/14; 128 in 2014/15; 136 in 2015/16 and now 149 in 2016/17.