Four Doncaster green spaces named among best in country

Four of Doncaster's parks have been recognised as among the best in the country, receiving awards at a prestigious ceremony.
Cusworth Hall near Doncaster
By Iain HillCusworth Hall near Doncaster
By Iain Hill
Cusworth Hall near Doncaster By Iain Hill

The Keep Britain Tidy Green Flag award, which is given annually to the best parks and green spaces in the UK, is renowned as a hallmark of quality and helps to attract visitors from across the country.

In addition to an award for Cusworth Hall and park, which already had Green Flag status, new awards for Bentley, Quarry and Sandall Parks were announced at a ceremony in Hull.

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The awards recognise the progress being made in creating attractive and enjoyable open spaces for Doncaster’s residents and visitors.

A partnership between council staff, dedicated groups of volunteers and ‘Friends-of’ groups has seen these parks develop to such a high standard that they will now be listed as among the best parks in the country.

The timing of the award comes half way through ‘Love Parks Week’, where people across the country are celebrating the fantastic parks where they live.

Doncaster Council has supported this event with a lot of online activity, promoting its parks on social media.

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Friends of Sandall Park chairman Sandra Crabtree said: “This is an amazing achievement for the park.

“Our aim has always been to achieve this standard but the baseline was so low 15 years ago.

“Working with the council to change things means Sandall Park is certainly on the up. This is probably only the midway point - the ship has been steadied and now the park has achieved this standard we should be able move forward in developing the park.”

The group has achieved a string of awards in recent years for their work in the park including The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service - the equivalent of an MBE - and Duke of York Community Initiative. For further information on the group and Sandall Park visit www.sandallpark.org.uk

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Cabinet member for Communities, the Voluntary Sector and Environment, Cllr Chris McGuinness, said: “This is an absolutely fantastic achievement, and I want to thank all of the staff and hard-working volunteers that continue to put in so much time and effort to make our local parks even more enjoyable.

“I’m so pleased that this hard work has been recognised with national awards for these four wonderful open spaces, and I’m sure that Green Flag status will encourage even more people to get out and enjoy these parks in the future.”

Following the award wins, there will be small celebration events at Bentley Park, Quarry Park and Sandall Park on Friday 21 July, which will give council staff and volunteers a chance to recognise their hard work and celebrate this achievement.

There will be a meet and greet from 11am in Sandall Park on the main picnic area when the Green Flag will be raised.