Lee Valley Regional Park Authority - Awards & Accreditations

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Awards & Accreditations

Lee Valley Regional Park Awards & Accreditations

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority are fully aware of the local government improvement agenda. To this end where possible we endeavour to achieve external accreditation for the services it provides.

This serves a number of purposes including benchmarking service provision, identifying what customers want and most importantly encouraging a culture of continues improvement that ensure customers get a quality service. Current accreditation for outdoor spaces is Green Flag and for sporting venues QUEST.

Quest Logo

What is Quest?

Quest, the UK for Sport and Leisure was launched in September 1996. Before that time there was no definitive leisure specific definitive standards for the managers of leisure facilities to work and aspire to. There was no standards that leisure managers could compare themselves against and there was no way of demonstrating the level of service they provide.

The number of accredited centres has grown from zero in August 1997 to over Five hundred in July 2006.

Quest is a quality framework for managing sport and leisure facilities. Using the framework, encourages and assists management teams to merge more effectively, and move closer to meeting and exceeding customers needs. Quest has been designed by the industry for the industry, and provides:

An approach to continuous development, to improve the quality of service
Best practice principles for the Sport and Leisure industry
An opportunity for self assessment against recognised industry best practice
A recognised endorsement of how well a centre or facility is being managed
A pertinent, industry specific tool to assist in the best value process

Sites must reach a minimum score of 60% to obtain QUEST accreditation.

Click here for Lee Valley Regional Park Authority sites that have achieved Quest.

Green Flag

What is Green Flag?

The Green Flag Award is the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales. The award scheme began in 1996 as a means of recognising and rewarding the best green spaces in the country. It was also seen as a way of encouraging others to achieve the same high environmental standards, creating a benchmark of excellence in recreational green areas.

Awards are given on an annual basis and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Flag status. Throughout the England and Wales the owners, managers and staff of many parks and green spaces work tirelessly to ensure their application for the prestigious Green Flag Award is successful. The number of applicants increases year after year and with this increasing interest in the scheme it is clear the Green Flag Award scheme is a resounding success.

There has recently been much discussion about the declining quality of our city parks and lack of focus upon rural green spaces. While this is undoubtedly a cause for concern in many places there are also many examples of thriving, popular sites run by dedicated, enthusiastic people working closely with their communities. The Green Flag Award Scheme is the impetus to an ever-increasing improvement in the quality of our parks and green spaces.

Click here for Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Green Flag sites.

The Future

Quest

The Authority has identified within its 2009 / 2010 service plan that the following sites will maintain their QUEST accreditation:

Green Flag

The Authority has identified within its 2009 / 2010 Service Plan that the following sites will be put forward for Green Flag accreditation:

Waterworks Nature Reserve (re assessment)
Walthamstow Marshes (re assessment)
Gunpowder Park (re assessment)
Abbey Gardens (re assessment)
Rye House Gate House (re assessment)
Bow Creek (re assessment)
Abbey Gardens Heritage Award (re assessment)
Myydelton House Gardens (re assessment)
Tottenham Marshes (re assessment)

All Above sites have been assessed and are Green Flag accredited.

Two page management plans for all the above Green Flag and proposed Green Flag sites are available by clicking the link for the relevant site.

If you are interested in volunteering or being part of a user group at any of these sites please click on the site link and contact the relevant member of staff. or contact our Volunteers Manager.