The Mere officially unveils the Green Flag
On Thursday 30 October, the Mere at Ellesmere will see the unveiling of the Green Flag to celebrate being awarded the prestigious status.
The Green Flag Award was first launched in 1996 to recognise and reward the best green spaces in the country and The Mere met all the criteria for the honour. The short ceremony will take place on the promenade at 12:30pm and will see numerous members of the Mere Advisory Board, Friends of The Mere, Shropshire Cllr Ann Hartley, Shropshire Cllr Steve Davenport, the Town Mayor and possibly a local troupe of Beavers (scouts) attend to celebrate together.
Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council Cabinet member with responsibilities for parks and recreation, said:
“It’s a fantastic achievement and the recognition is a huge credit to all those who work year round to maintain this great area of Shropshire. Well done to everyone involved.”
Ann Hartley, Shropshire Council member for Ellesmere, said:
“Ellesmere people have rightly, always been very proud of The Mere and Cremorne gardens, and I’m sure everyone is absolutely delighted that we have been recognised as a Green Flag status green space. I’d like to thank all the staff and, very importantly, all the volunteers involved in maintaining this ‘jewel in the crown’. I’ve been personally involved in this project from the start so it’s a great to see the recognition for the Mere.”
The Mere, which attracts over 240,000 visitors a year, was named amongst 1,476 parks, cemeteries, universities, shopping centres and community gardens that have met the high standard needed to receive the Award. In Shropshire, Severn Valley Country Park at Highley and Alveley has also received the award for the 11th year running.
