Your Park Bristol & Bath, a charity founded in February 2019 as part of the national Rethinking Parks programme, recently held its second awards ceremony to recognize the outstanding work of park volunteers in the Bristol and Bath communities.
On Saturday, February 3rd, over 100 volunteers gathered at the Bristol Beacon to celebrate the contributions of smaller community groups and individuals who have made a significant impact on their local parks. Your Park Bristol & Bath aims to transform how communities can benefit from and support parks and green spaces by improving access, supporting nature’s recovery, and organizing mental health community initiatives.
The ceremony honored six individual park volunteers who have made an exceptional contribution to their green space and local community. The categories included Bristol & Bath Volunteer of the Year (ages 25 and over), Bristol and Bath Young Adult Volunteer of the Year (ages 16-24), and Bristol and Bath Young Volunteer of the Year (ages under 16).
Simon, a Youth Worker involved with the Hartcliffe Club for Young People, who were winners of the Young Volunteers of the Year Award, expressed his gratitude for the recognition, saying, “It was amazing to see this group of young women’s work and patience rewarded. As we had lunch together, they were instantly asking what the next project was and whether we could litter pick the harbour side?”
The ceremony also recognized groups of volunteers for their efforts in three categories: Community Connecters, Happy and Healthy, and Nature Lovers. One park from Bristol and one from Bath were announced as the winners for each category, along with the volunteers who made their work possible.
Manor Woods Valley Group, located in Bristol, was named the winner in the Nature Lovers category and expressed their appreciation for the award, saying, “A big thank you to everyone for your hard work that has made this possible.”
In addition, shortlisted groups from the Community Impact Awards were eligible for the Community Choice Award, where the project with the most votes from the community won £200 towards their work. Redcatch Community Garden, located in Knowle, Bristol, was the winner of this award, receiving 301 votes out of nearly 1000.
The winners of all the awards received vouchers for garden centers and certificates of thanks. Judy Gowenlock, Awards Manager, praised the volunteers, saying, “The awards are about celebrating all that volunteers do, across our cities, for their parks and green spaces. Many residents of all ages and backgrounds give up their free time to make our parks and green spaces more welcoming places to be, places which benefit our health and places which support nature. It has been inspiring and heartwarming to read the nominations for all the individuals and groups and I would like to say a big thank you to them for all that they do. We finally wanted to say a huge thanks to Hargreaves Lansdown for sponsoring the awards.”
Your Park Bristol & Bath works closely with the local authorities, Bristol City Council and Bath and North East Somerset Council, who are responsible for the upkeep of over 2,000 hectares of local parks and green spaces. However, the charity operates completely independently.
If you would like to volunteer and make a difference in your community, get in touch with Your Park today at www.yourpark.org.uk/get-involved. This event was made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of Hargreaves Lansdown.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.