Green Flag raised at Countess of Chester Country Park

There was yet more success for Countess of Chester Country Park to celebrate this week as the prestigious Green Flag was raised on the Land Trust site.

The site in Upton was one of five Land Trust sites recognised by Green Flag in 2018, the first time the Countess had received the award.

The flag was raised by Land Trust chief executive, Euan Hall and the ceremony was attended by MP for the City of Chester, Chris Matheson.

The award was recognition for a site that has become a real heart of the community over the last four years.

Since opening in 2014 the park has become a key attraction, not only for local residents, but also for patients, staff and visitors to the adjacent Countess of Chester hospital, attracting over 40,000 visitors every year.

A Health for Life project was run on the site with 272 participants taking part in a range of activities which were academically evaluated by the Natural Health Service Centre of Excellence with participants reporting spending more time outdoors and feeling healthier and happier as a result.

There is also a weekly parkrun on a Saturday morning which has seen thousands of participants enjoy running around the picturesque trails.

The site is fortunate to have a very active community group, Friends of Countess of Chester Country Park, who organise activities and volunteering opportunities and  who recently completed work on ‘Fallen for the Fallen’, a project which commemorates 100 years since the end of the first World War.

Sarah Palgrave-Neath, estates manager for the Land Trust said:

“It was lovely to see the Green Flag raised at the Countess of Chester and the accolade is real recognition of the fantastic work that has been done on the site since the park opened in 2014.

“Working with our managing partners, The Conservation Volunteers, our passionate volunteer workforce, and with the adjacent hospital the site has delivered some fantastic outcomes for the park users and the surrounding community.”