****Embargoed until Wed 14 oct**

THE NATIONAL Wool Museum dye garden is among 224 parks and green spaces in Wales to have received the prestigious Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award.

The garden at Drefach Felindre has once again won a community award among a diverse range of sites, from country parks and formal gardens, to allotments, woodlands and churchyards.

This community project involves volunteers from Drefach Felindre Gardening Club who work with the local primary school’s Eco Group and The National Wool Museum.

The project aims to grow a variety of plants which have been traditionally used for their natural dyes to colour fleece, yarn and fabrics, while providing an attractive eye-catching display.

Flowers, roots and leaves are harvested over the summer.

An end of season workshop makes practical use of the plants grown and provides a great educational experience for those involved.

Now in its third decade, the international Green Flag Award is a sign to the public that a park or green space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.

Wales still holds more than a third of the UK’s Green Flag community sites, which are maintained and run by volunteers.

Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, Hannah Blythyn said: “Green spaces are vital for mental and physical well-being and throughout the pandemic we have seen how important these spaces have been for local communities.

“These landscapes play a vital role in delivering rich ecosystems and vibrant and resilient communities, and I congratulate all of the sites for providing excellent, year-round facilities and events for people in Wales.”

The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government.

Independent green space experts volunteered their time in early autumn to judge applicant sites against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management and community involvement.

Lucy Prisk, Green Flag Coordinator at Keep Wales Tidy said:

“The pandemic has shown just how important high-quality parks and green spaces are to our communities. For many of us, they have been a haven on our doorstep, benefiting our health and well-being.”