Council awarded Urban Parks prize

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has taken the title of Best Urban Parks Team at a prestigious awards ceremony.
Green-fingered excellence was celebrated recently in the beautiful Sculpture Gallery at Woburn Abbey and Gardens, where the winners were announced for the Horticulture Week Custodian Awards. Pictured are: Sarah Cosgrove, Assistant Editor (Hort Week) Stephen Daye (Head of Parks and Open Spaces), Alison Diver (MEA), Kate Lowe, Editor (Hort Week) — Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has taken the title of Best Urban Parks Team at a prestigious awards ceremony. Green-fingered excellence was celebrated recently in the beautiful Sculpture Gallery at Woburn Abbey and Gardens, where the winners were announced for the Horticulture Week Custodian Awards. Pictured are: Sarah Cosgrove, Assistant Editor (Hort Week) Stephen Daye (Head of Parks and Open Spaces), Alison Diver (MEA), Kate Lowe, Editor (Hort Week)

Green-fingered excellence was celebrated recently in the beautiful Sculpture Gallery at Woburn Abbey and Gardens, where the winners were announced for the Horticulture Week Custodian Awards.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Lindsay Millar, said: “I am delighted our Council has won such a prestigious award. Our team manages more than 300 sites, including premier parks, play parks, woodlands, sports pitches, cemeteries, walkways, off-street car parking, and 62 miles of coastline.

“The team is customer-focused, sets ambitious goals and delivers a business plan which is strategically aligned to Corporate and Community Plan priorities.

Mid & East Antrim Council Parks and Open Spaces staff and Mayor pictured celebrating success. (submitted pics.)

“One of the core strengths noted by the judges was community engagement, for example, ‘Friends of’ groups which amass more than 1,000 volunteer hours annually, the local ‘in bloom’ partnership and subsequent successes at Ulster in Bloom, Britain in Bloom and Best Kept awards, and the delivery of the PEACE IV ‘Your Place Our Space’ programme, which will see almost £479,000 going back into the community.

“The judges also noted the team is committed to protecting local biodiversity, for example, sowing one million wildflower seeds annually, building and installing three barn owl boxes, and adding further Local Nature Reserves to its portfolio.

“Staff have also been road-testing eco-friendly electric vehicles, actively reducing herbicide usage and moving away from annual bedding plants in favour of sustainable planting, tree planting and wildflower meadows.

“Congratulations to the entire team,” said Mayor Millar.

Kate Lowe, editor of Horticulture Week, said: “Well done to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council on their success at the awards this year.