After another fantastic year for Green Flag entries nationally and internationally, Borough Gardens is celebrating achieving the prestigious Green Flag award yet again.
Dorchester’s Mayor, Cllr Andy Canning said:
“I regularly visit the Borough Gardens and I’m absolutely delighted to hear that, yet again, we have secured the Green Flag Award.
I have met the team before, and it is fantastic to go back again and be able to congratulate them. I know a lot of work is being put into the personal development of the team members and in increasing quality standards even further. This has been recognised as the Gardens achieved the award with a score that is in the highest possible category. The Town Council has also invested in the future of the Gardens by installing solar panels and heat pumps and we improved the community room and gardeners’ office accommodation. This shows our commitment to keeping our terrific Gardens, located both physically and emotionally in the heart of Dorchester, in the very best condition for all to enjoy, free of charge, all year round.”
Borough Gardens is a busy but peaceful green space for the community in Dorchester, there are numerous events held there through the summer appealing to all tastes such as weekly weekend music events, the cider festival and the ever-popular Love Parks Day, a fantastic family orientated day full of fun activities, which this year falls on the 24th of July. A full list of events can be found on the Dorchester Town Council and Borough Gardens Facebook pages, and also on KeeP 106’s What’s On – Local events guide.
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd MBE said:
“I would like to congratulate everyone involved at Dorchester Town Council in achieving a Green Flag Award.
“We know that staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that it maintains the high standards of the Green Flag Award, everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.”
The gardens are maintained very carefully by a dedicated-on site team of professional gardening staff who are supported by the Outdoor Services team and Park Attendants in the evenings and at weekends. The gardens comprise bright flower displays, shrub and rose beds, lawns, period architectural features including a fountain, clock and bandstand, tennis courts, play equipment including a fun water section and even a human sundial!
Visitors can also enjoy treats from the “Temple of refreshment” the new on-site kiosk whist enjoying the sun or sitting in the shade of the numerous majestic mature trees.
Sites are assessed against 27 different criteria when judged and they must also have a management plan which is separately assessed against a further 9. In addition, sites will receive un-announced “mystery shops” with judges checking that the quality of the site is maintained throughout the year.
The Mayor of Dorchester, Cllr Andy Canning met the gardeners Ian Adshead, James Simpson, Dave Hawkins and Molly Hearn on site to receive this year’s prestigious Green Flag and to say thank you to the team for all their work. Image supplied by Dorchester Town Council.