Silverdale gets gold at Heart of England in Bloom Awards

Silverdale Country Park has won gold for the second consecutive year in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Heart of England in Bloom awards.

The award was given to the Land Trust site in the Parks and Open Spaces category, with the entries judged on maintenance, wildlife, community engagement and how welcoming the park is for visitors.

The park was also part of a wider entry for Newcastle under Lyme, which won the Small City category for the third year running and went on to win gold in the Champion of Champions category at national level.

Silverdale Country Park was formerly a colliery, and after it closed in 1998 it was re-envisaged by the Homes and Communities Agency as part of the National Coalfields Programme.

The Land Trust took over the site in 2009 and opened it as a country park in 2011. Since then it has been transformed into an accessible community space with thriving wildlife habitats.

Sarah Palgrave-Neath, Land Trust Estates manager said:

“I am delighted that Silverdale has won this award for the second time.

“Since opening, the park has seen so much improvement and it’s great that it is getting the recognition it deserves.

“The ranger and volunteers work extremely hard to make Silverdale a welcoming and enriching place to visit and as a result, the park has become an important community asset.”

Having also been awarded Green Flag status for the second time this summer, it has been a year of success for the park and its staff and volunteers.

Andrew Hunt, Ranger of Silverdale Country Park, said:

“It was a very proud moment to receive the gold award.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of the volunteers, visitors and groups that work so hard making our Silverdale Country Park great.”

For more information about activities at Silverdale Country Park, visit their Facebook page.

Silverdale’s gold award

Silverdale gets gold at Heart of England in Bloom Awards

Silverdale 2018 Green Flag