Is your local park the best in the province?

Do you think that your local park, playground or playing field is the best in the country?
2016 UKs Best Park winner Rouken Glen Park. Submitted image (© Gibson Digital 2016)2016 UKs Best Park winner Rouken Glen Park. Submitted image (© Gibson Digital 2016)
2016 UKs Best Park winner Rouken Glen Park. Submitted image (© Gibson Digital 2016)

If so, you now have the opportunity to prove it as UK-wide charity Fields in Trust is seeking nominations from Northern Ireland in a search to find the UK’s favourite local park, selected by public vote.

National charity Fields in Trust have launched a campaign to find the UK’s Best Park, as voted by you.

This unique award is open to all public green spaces across the UK through a simple online nomination at www.fieldsintrust.org/bestpark.

It might be that your local park is great for a Sunday afternoon stroll, your neighbourhood playground is a hive of activity for children, or a nature reserve provides a stress-free space to relax.

Last year there were seven Northern Ireland parks amongst the 214 nominations and Castle Gardens, Antrim came top of the Northern Ireland poll.

Fields in Trust Chief Executive Helen Griffiths said: “Parks and open spaces are arguably the most universal of all public services. They are used by the entire community from pre-school children through to retired adults - our nation’s parks and green spaces are places to enjoy life experiences.

“We want to ensure that we value parks and green spaces and take account of the vital contribution they make to local communities. Our Awards help recognise the role that our local parks play in our neighbourhoods, bringing people together and creating a safe outdoor environment that should be available to everyone. We want to celebrate all the much-loved green spaces and invite all park users to vote for their favourite.”

UK’s Best Park is a unique award open to all local green spaces across the UK. A simple online nomination form allows anyone to suggest their favourite green space. This will be followed by a public vote.

The UK’s Best Park award is one of ten categories that together form the sixth, annual Fields in Trust Awards. Winners will be revealed at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on November 29 in an event which celebrates the achievements of individuals and organisations who have worked over the last year to ensure that everyone has access to protected outdoor recreational space.

Categories include the Community Champion Award and, sponsored by Environmental regeneration charity Groundwork, the Young Champion Award.

A new category for 2017 is for the Friends Group of the year, which will celebrate projects with significant community participation in running or improving a park or green space.

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