Penge Green Gym Newsletter

Summer celebrations and Autumn awards

In September we were able to celebrate our 10th birthday as Penge Green. We were very excited that so many people could join us including old volunteers and stakeholders who heard about our progress over the years. It was not just a celebration of the years of hard work but also of the lasting friendships made along the way.

We were very happy that Geoffrey A Thompson DL, representing the greater London Lieutenancy for the QAVS awards was able to come and also members of TCV old and new, Lizzy Kaimakamis, our first project officer and Rachel Hoyes and James Squires current TCV members along with members of Idverde and local councillors.

Green Flag awards, London in Bloom, Cultivation Street and more!

For the 7th consecutive year Penge Green Gym was awarded a Community Green Flag Award. Commenting on the news that Winsford Gardens has achieved the Green Flag Award standard, Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making Winsford Gardens worthy of a Green Flag Award. To meet the requirements demanded by the scheme is testament to the hard work of the staff and volunteers who do so much to ensure that Winsford Gardens has high standards of horticulture, safety and environmental management and is a place that supports people to live healthy lives.”

A year in which Winsford Gardens has also been awarded 2nd place in the Cultivation Street, Best Ecological Garden competition, received a Silver Gilt prize in the London in Bloom, Environmental Challenge, and an Outstanding in the London in Bloom, It’s Your Neighbourhood competition.

We have also received a cheque from Waitrose community matters and funding for planting spring bulbs from the MPGA.

All in all we've had a bumper year of awards and the community group goes from strength to strength. Well done to all our hard working volunteers!

Easyfundraising

Easyfundraising is a great way to support Penge Green Gym. With Easyfundraising every time you shop, a small donation is made to Penge Green Gym. If you would like to help us, go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/pengegreengym/ and sign up. It's totally free and helps us with all forthcoming projects. Many thanks.

Thursday 14 October 2021

Winsford Gardens flies the flag today as one of the country’s best open spaces.

In a record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award, as the scheme marks its Silver Jubilee, Winsford Gardens is one of 2127 celebrating success today, and is one of 47 Community Green Flag Award winners in London, and celebrates along with 7 of LB Bromley parks managed by idverde.

Today, Penge Green Gym is raising a Green Flag at Winsford Gardens, our 7^th consecutive year of winning a Community Green Flag Award.

This award is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

After 18 months that have seen our parks and green spaces play a vital role for people through lockdowns as a place to relax, exercise and meet friends and family safely, the news that Winsford Gardens has achieved the Green Flag Award is testament to the hard work and dedication of Penge Green Gym that make the green space a great space that everyone can enjoy.

Winsford Gardens joins parks and green spaces as diverse as the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, Woodhouse Park in Peterlee and Chiswick Old Cemetery in London.

Commenting on the news that Winsford Gardens has achieved the Green Flag Award standard, Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making Winsford Gardens worthy of a Green Flag Award.”

“To meet the requirements demanded by the scheme is testament to the hard work of the staff and volunteers who do so much to ensure that Winsford Gardens has high standards of horticulture, safety and environmental management and is a place that supports people to live healthy lives.”

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

In celebration of this year’s announcement, Green Flag Award is asking buildings and monuments around the UK to #GoGreenForParks today to show appreciation for the spaces that mean so much to people.

However, very few Friends of Parks groups apply for Community Green Flag Awards on their green spaces, with only 47 in whole of London. We believe many more could and should.

This Award also tops off a very successful 10^th year for Penge Green Gym who go from strength to strength. A year in which Winsford Gardens has also been awarded 2^nd place in the Cultivation Street, Best Ecological Garden competition, received a Silver Gilt prize in the London in Bloom, Environmental Challenge, and an Outstanding in the London in Bloom, It’s Your Neighbourhood competition.