UK'S BEST PARK: The North East's "Much Loved" green spaces revealed
This summer's UK's Best Park award has seen all-time high numbers of nominations and a record votes tally, with 36,832 park users casting votes to help decide the winner of the UK's Best Park 2019.
In the North East, you nominated 13 local parks and green spaces which are special to you. These nominations were then championed by park users, communities, Friends of groups, landowners and elected representatives as part of the public vote.
Following close of voting, we are delighted to be able to reveal the overall winner for the North East region, as well as the parks which your votes mean have received "Much Loved" status. Each will receive a certificate recognising your support, whilst the regional winner now joins Lake Meadows, Danson Park, Alexandra Park, Page Park, Telford Town Park, Kings Park and Beaumont Park on the shortlist for the title of England's Best Park, the winner of which will be revealed tomorrow, Wednesday 28th August. Tomorrow will also see the announcement of the "Much Loved" spaces in the final English region, the North West. Make sure you're following @FieldsInTrust on social media to keep right up to date with the winners!
North East region winner
South Park
Parkside, Darlington, County Durham
Described by its nominator as: "A beautiful Victorian Park which consists of a lake, a riverside walk, play areas, bowling green, late 19th century bandstand, café dating from 1908, rose garden and an educational building based in the park lodge. It's a true gem in the crown."
"Much Loved" spaces
South Park was one of three spaces in the North East which placed within the top 20% of all nominations nationally in voting for UK's Best Park 2019. Each of these spaces receives "Much Loved" status, recognising the support they have received this summer from those who use and love them. The other two "Much Loved" spaces in the North East are:
Hackworth Park
Shildon, County Durham
Richardson Dees Park
Wallsend, Tyne and Wear
Celebrating one long Summer of Parks
This Summer of Parks you've been showing love for your local parks in unprecedented numbers. From a record-breaking Have a Field Day to the biggest UK's Best Park award yet, it is clear how much we all love our local parks. Each "Much Loved" park will receive a certificate denoting its status - we will be in touch with the landowner to arrange delivery of this certificate and discuss celebrations for the newly conferred status. The park's nominator for UK's Best Park 2019 will also receive acknowledgement that their favourite local green space is amongst the nation's favourites.
Our Summer of Parks will conclude on Thursday 12th September with the announcement of the UK's Best Park 2019. This day is also an opportunity to champion those parks to receive "Much Loved" status with their new certificates, as well as celebrate all parks and green spaces across the country which are special in their own ways to those who use and love them.
Green spaces are good and they do good. Your support will help us to protect green spaces for good.
Donate Now
Green Space Index in the North East
The Green Space Index is Fields in Trust's barometer of publicly accessible park and green space provision. Our Revaluing Parks and Green Spaces research demonstrates that these spaces across the UK provide people with over £34 billion of health and wellbeing benefits. We believe that green spaces are good, do good and need to be protected for good.
In the North East, the Green Space Index finds:
of total green space provision in North East
of green space provision per person in North East
not living within a ten-minute walk of a green space
of legally protected green space provision in North East
You can discover more about the Green Space Index and explore provision near you on our interactive map for the region.
About Fields in Trust
Fields in Trust is an independent charity with over 90 years’ experience protecting parks and green spaces. We work with landowners, community groups and policy makers to champion the value of our parks and green spaces to achieve better protection for their future at both local and national level.
You can donate to support our work to protect, support and champion green spaces for good.
Summer of Parks: Join the discussion as we champion our parks and green spaces
Green Space Index: Our new barometer of publicly accessible green space provision
UK's Best Park: Celebrate your favourite local green space - discover the results
