Beaufort Hill Ponds & Woodlands
Awards
B.G.C.B.C Annual Environmental Awards
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2008 - SOCIETY WIN THE INITIATIVE AWARD.
The photographs below show the filming for the award nomination and Des Markey and Jeff Williams receiving the award, sponsored by Laing O'Rourke.
2011
Society receive the "Community Group Biodiversity " award at this years B.G.C.B.C Environmental Awards ceremony.
Pictured left is Society Director Roy Lynch and his daughter Catherine, receiving a wood sculpture made by John James, a certificate and a cheque for £40.00 on behalf of the group.
The award was presented by BBC Wales Nature and Wildlife presenter Iolo Williams. Also pictured is Hedley McCarthy, who is the BGCBC Executive Member - Environment.
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2013
Society also received a certificate and wood sculpture for recently achieving the Green Flag Award from Keep Wales Tidy.
The 'Green Champion' was awarded jointly to Roy Lynch and John Hillier for all the hard work they have put in to help make the Woodlands site look as good as it does - well deserved for all their efforts.
2009 - THE WOODLANDS IS AWARDED LOCAL NATURE RESERVE STATUS
In June 2009, five valleys nature sites were designated as Local Nature Reserves. Local Nature Reserves (LNR) were designated sites of local biodiversity or geological interest.
The sites, which cover 300 hectares of land - the equivalent of 276 football pitches, were :- Beaufort Hills Ponds and Woodlands, Cwmtillery Lakes, Parc Bryn Bach, Parc Nant-y-Waun, Sirhowy Hill Woodlands and Cardiff Pond.
These are areas which do not necessarily have the rarest species but are green spaces, which are there for public enjoyment.
They are managed by the council, which can introduce by-laws to protect the site and enhance the environment.
LNRs are also eligible for grant aid to help with management and the improvement of facilities.
Management committees would be set up locally in consultation with the Countryside Council for Wales and Gwent Wildlife Trust to attract funding for any work that needs to be carried out.
Cllr Don Wilcox, the council’s executive member for regeneration, said: “We are very proud to have these five green spaces of such outstanding natural beauty on our doorstep - now accessible to everyone so they can be enjoyed by the young an old alike."
LNRs are declared under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and are designated by local authorities in consultation with the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW). CCW must be consulted on any development proposal that may affect the special interest of a LNR and there must be a long-term commitment by the Authority to sustaining its wildlife value through appropriate management. This includes provision for a management plan and resources to implement it. LNRs also must provide an element of appropriate access, education and study potential. Prior to this announcement,Blaenau Gwent currently had only one Local Nature Reserve - at Silent Valley.
2010 - THE SOCIETY WIN AN AWARD FROM THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE PROTECTION OF RURAL WALES
On Thursday 2nd September 2010, society directors met at T.J. Thomas & Sons Henllys Suite to receive an award from C.P.R.W , this was followed by a walk around the Woodlands site.
These awards are sponsored by the Post Office Wales, which was represented by Stuart Taylor and CPRW were represented by :-
Dr Jean Rosenfeld,Director, CPRW Ian Burge, President of CPRW (Newport & Valleys) who presented a plaque and scroll to society chairman Rex Herbert MBE. Vic Warren,Chairman and Byron Grubb, Secretary of the Newport & Valleys Branch.
Byron, who lives nearby and regularly walks the woodlands site, has been so impressed by the development of the site, that he nominated us for the award.
To find out more about the C.P.R.W, please visit their website, by clicking on the following icon
Keep Wales Tidy Green Flag Community Award
16th July 2019
Beaufort Woodlands achieves coveted Green Flag Community Award for the seventh consecutive year
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Keep Wales Tidy has unveiled this year’s Green Flag Award winners – the international mark of a quality park or green space.
A record-breaking 127 community managed green spaces in Wales have met the high standards needed to receive the prestigious Green Flag Community Award. This means that Wales now holds a third of the UK’s community Green Flag sites.
The flag will be flying at Beaufort Woodlands in recognition of its excellent facilities and commitment to delivering great quality green space.
Beaufort Hill Ponds & Woodlands Preservation Society are extremely proud to earn the right to fly the Green Flag Community Award at Beaufort Woodlands in recognition of their excellent facilities and commitment to delivering great quality green space.
Following the Community Green Flag Award in 2018/19, we have been extremely lucky to continue to attract interest and support from a breadth of volunteers wishing to support our aims. These volunteers undertook a variety of practical activities including: managing scrub area, woodlands, improved access for the disabled and general repairs around the site.
Photography of flora and fauna found within the park are displayed on our website, of which volunteers continually update website and social media sites. Some examples of the activities that took place during this period can be viewed on this website, also :-
Facebook facebook.com/BeaufortHillPondsWoodlands
Twitter: twitter.com/BeaufortWood
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John Hillier, Company Secretary / Director - Beaufort Hill Ponds & Woodlands Preservation Society commented:
“Our pledge this year in the project plan was to install a new gate that would improve access for the disabled but also to continue manage our woodlands and to preserve and protect the heathland. Volunteers helped us continue our work from the previous year by providing valuable support with our management plan for the woodlands. Through these identified management activities, the skills and abilities of the volunteers within the community group had strengthened. Not only that skills will be developed within the group the training opportunities for the dedicated volunteers promotes the sharing of knowledge and will generate mutual support. Through demonstrating and sharing this practice we will able to encourage teamwork through motivation, example and community reward, strengthening our community group and generating further interest.”
The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity, Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government. It is judged by green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management and community involvement.
Lucy Prisk, Green Flag Coordinator at Keep Wales Tidy said:
“The Green Flag Community Award programme continues to go from strength to strength in Wales, thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of volunteers across the country.
“We can’t underestimate how important high-quality parks and green spaces are to our communities, our health and wellbeing, nature and economy. We want to encourage everyone to explore their local area and make the most of the award-winning sites on their doorstep.”
A full list of award winners can be found on the Keep Wales Tidy website :- www.keepwalestidy.cymru/greenflag
Members & visitors comments taken from our Facebook page
Cerys Foley - Well done. Saw the sign today. Very well deserved
Christine James - Tremendous Dedication to achieve such an accolade WELL DONE ALL who make and maintain ‘a little piece of heaven’ here in Blaenau Gwent for us to enjoy
Alyson Tippings - Well done, richly deserved. One of my favourite places in BlaenauGwent
Sarah Richards - Wonderful news
Eileen Rees - Brilliant,well done