Dedicated volunteers ensure Green Flag continues to fly at Taraggan Educational Gardens in Bargoed, Gwent.

The hard work of dedicated volunteers has ensured that the prestigious Green Flag Community Award continues to fly at Platfform’s Taraggan Educational Gardens in Bargoed, as Keep Wales Tidy announces the winners of the 2026 Green Flag Awards.

A record 330 parks and green spaces across Wales have reached the high standards required to fly the coveted Green Flag for 2026. This includes 93 sites which achieved full Green Flag Award status and 237 who received a Green Flag Community Award. Fourteen of these sites also achieved the supplementary Green Heritage Site Accreditation, supported by Cadw, for demonstrating a commitment to preserving and promoting their unique history.

The Green Flag Community Award – which celebrates high-quality, volunteer-run spaces such as community gardens and local nature reserves – was awarded to Taraggan Educational Gardens in recognition of its environmental efforts and community involvement. The gardens are supported by a team of dedicated volunteers who give up their time to maintain the site, planting and harvesting flowers, herbs and other produce throughout the year.

More recently, the team has been refreshing the site through a dedicated painting project, where volunteers have been adding a touch of colour and artistic flair to the wooden equipment and installations around the gardens. Artist, Jay, who has been leading the onsite team, has overseen the creation of a mural on the side of the potting shed, with other items such as planters, pots and recycling bins receiving a splash of colour to brighten up the plot.

Ceri Fox, Senior Case Worker at Platfform’s Pathways to Employment Caerphilly team, commented: “We are absolutely thrilled to have received this award yet again in recognition of our amazing volunteers – without them this would not have been possible. It is very labour intensive and they turn up week after week to ensure the gardens are kept in great condition. At Platfform, we understand how important volunteering is for good mental health – and working together in nature only adds to this benefit by helping people to connect to their community in a beautiful green space. We’d not only like to extend a huge thanks to all our amazing volunteers, but also to Keep Wales Tidy for recognising their hard work.”

In Wales, the awards scheme is run by Keep Wales Tidy.  Owen Derbyshire, Keep Wales Tidy Chief Executive said:

“Wales is truly setting the standard when it comes to outstanding green spaces, with 330 places recognised in this year’s Green Flag Awards. From flagship parks and vibrant woodlands to historic sites and community spaces, Wales has shown year after year that it has an unwavering commitment to nurturing inclusive green spaces that can be enjoyed by everyone. 

“We are especially proud of all our Green Flag Community Award winners which reach the award’s high standards due to the hard work and dedication of volunteers who give their time and skills to ensure these special places thrive and can be enjoyed by many others. Green spaces play a vital part in supporting the health and wellbeing of communities across Wales and we’d like to thank everyone who plays a part in that.”

The Green Flag Award scheme was founded 30 years ago and recognises well-managed parks and green spaces in more than 20 countries around the world – and for the third year running, Wales retains the honour of holding more Green Flag Community Awards than any other country delivering the scheme, with 237 Community Awards, up 14 from 223 last year.

A full list of award winners can be found on the Keep Wales Tidy website www.keepwalestidy.cymru