Your Park Bristol & Bath held its second annual awards ceremony on Saturday, February 3rd, to recognize and honor the hard work and dedication of park volunteers in the Bristol and Bath communities.
Founded in February 2019, Your Park Bristol and Bath is a charity that aims to transform how communities benefit from and support local parks and green spaces. Through initiatives such as improving access, supporting nature’s recovery, and organizing mental health community programs, Your Park is making a positive impact on the surrounding areas.
The ceremony, held at Bristol Beacon, brought together over 100 volunteers, including smaller community groups that have been making a significant difference in their local parks.
The awards were split into two categories, with a small number of awards given in each. The first category recognized six individual park volunteers who have made outstanding contributions to their green spaces and communities. The awards were given in three age groups: Bristol & Bath Volunteer of the Year (25 and over), Bristol & Bath Young Adult Volunteer of the Year (16-24 years old), and Bristol & Bath Young Volunteer of the Year (under 16 years old).
Simon, a Youth Worker involved with the Hartcliffe Club for Young People, expressed his excitement for the group’s win for Young Volunteers of the Year. He said, “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 second category, The Community Impact Awards, 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 winners in each category, along with the volunteers who made the work possible.
Manor Woods Valley Group, located in Bristol, was the winner in the Nature Lovers category. They expressed their gratitude, saying, “A big thank you everyone for your hard work that has made this possible.”
Additionally, shortlisted groups from the Community Impact Awards had the chance to compete for the Community Choice Award. This award, which came with a prize of £200 towards their work, was given to the project with the most votes from the community. Redcatch Community Garden, located in Knowle, Bristol, received the most votes and took home the Community Impact Award and the Community Connectors Award.
Redcatch Community Garden expressed their joy at winning, saying, “We are absolutely delighted to win two awards. Huge thank you to the individuals and panel who voted for us, we are thankful and grateful for this recognition and motivated to continue all we do for our community.”
All winners received vouchers for garden centers and certificates of thanks.
Judy Gowenlock, Awards Manager, shared, “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 two local authorities, Bristol City Council and Bath and North East Somerset Council, who are responsible for the upkeep of the 2,000+ hectares of local parks and green spaces. However, the charity operates independently and relies on the support of volunteers to achieve its goals.
If you are interested in volunteering and making a difference in your community, contact Your Park today at www.yourpark.org.uk/get-involved. The event was made possible by the generous sponsorship of Hargreaves Lansdown.
