Hope Coppice in Shirley has won a national award for its contribution to biodiversity enhancement and improving the well-being of the local community.
The Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award team gave the park a coveted ‘Best of the Best’ award in the Best Biodiversity Habitat Creation Project category this afternoon (14/11/24).
The awards celebrate the volunteers, park staff and groups behind the success of parks that managed to scoop a prestigious Green Flag Award earlier in the year.
The Green Flag Award scheme recognises and accredits high quality and well managed green spaces and is managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy in partnership with Keep Wales Tidy, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.
Nominations were received from across the UK and Hope Coppice was subsequently selected by the Best of The Best jury for their exceptional contribution.
Cllr Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council, said: “Hope Coppice used to be an underutilised piece of land, bound for housing development which was saved and transformed into a vibrant nature reserve for the benefit of the local community and beyond. Amongst other things, it now includes a community orchard, Commonwealth forest and woodland trees in remembrance of those affected by the Covid pandemic."
Solihull Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, Cllr Ken Hawkins, said: “Thriving with diverse wildlife, including goldcrests and barn owls, Hope Coppice has also become a sanctuary for rehabilitated hedgehogs through our partnership with Solihogs Hedgehog Rescue.
“We would like to send our heartfelt thanks and congratulations to both the council’s Public Realm team and the ‘Friends of Hope Coppice’ group for their continued support and commitment to preserving and enhancing this vital space.”
Green Flag Award manager Paul Todd MBE said: “The best of best awards is our way of honouring all the hard work done by the thousands of parks staff and volunteers up and down the country who work tirelessly to make their parks and green spaces fantastic places that everyone can enjoy.
“Our Best of the Best winners represent some of the UK’s hardest working individuals and groups working within our highest quality parks. We want to say a huge congratulations to them.”
For more details about the awards and the winners, visit www.greenflagaward.org.