Corby Growing project is ‘Best of the Best’
Parks and open spaces26 November 2025
The Corby Growing project has won an award from Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award for their work at Coronation Park in Corby.
The project led by North Northamptonshire Council won the Best Health Initiative in the annual Best of the Best awards.
The awards celebrate the volunteers, park staff and groups behind the success of the park, which won a prestigious Green Flag Award earlier in the year.
The Corby Growing project was launched in 2022 as an extension of the council’s woodland conservation activities to broaden volunteering opportunities and promote health, wellbeing and biodiversity.
Feedback from volunteers, particularly older individuals, highlighted a desire for activities like produce growing and tree banking in a more accessible location. In response, the council transformed two disused bowling greens into a space for community growth, wellbeing, and sustainability.
Now the project has evolved into a space where residents from diverse backgrounds come together, share ideas and learn from each other. Alongside community growing, the site has now developed hosting yoga and health and wellbeing sessions all in a dedicated outdoor space.
The Green Flag Award scheme recognises and accredits high quality and well managed green spaces and is managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy in partnership with Keep Wales Tidy, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.
Coronation Park in Corby was among a record breaking 2,250 parks and green spaces achieved the Green Flag Award this year, with successful submissions from local authorities and other land managers across the country for a range of sites, from world-famous city parks to small, local green spaces.
Nominations were received from across the UK for the Best of the Best awards and the Corby Growing project was subsequently selected by the jury for their exceptional contribution.
The Corby Growing Project is not just about gardening, it’s about growing people, relationships, and opportunities. This award is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team and volunteers who give up their time for such an excellent project - thank you and well done!Cllr Ken Harrington, the council’s Executive Member for Assets, Waste and Environmental Services
This award recognises the excellent work of the team and volunteers. But projects like this are about more than awards, they are excellent for helping residents keep active and eating healthy, wholesome food - all in a welcoming environment.Cllr Brian Benneyworth, the council’s Executive Member for Health and Leisure
We know that our Green Flag winning sites most likely would not have achieved these high standards at without the hard work of volunteers, staff and other groups around the UK who look after them.Green Flag Award manager Paul Todd MBE
It’s only right that we continue to recognise the tireless work by the Corby Growing Project and the thousands of parks staff and volunteers to make their parks and green spaces safe and healthy places everyone can benefit from.
We’d like to congratulate them on their Best of the Best award.
Parks and green spaces provide many benefits to people, pets and wildlife, including space to exercise, socialise, and improve mental and physical wellbeing - and they also play a part in helping us mitigate and adapt to some of the effects of our changing climate.
For more details about the awards and the winners, visit the Green Flag Awards website.