The University of Winchester will be able to hoist the prestigious Green Flag after achieving the international quality mark for its King Alfred Campus.
The Green Flag Award scheme - managed by Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government - recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces.
King Alfred is one of just 30 university campuses across the UK to earn a Green Flag.
Following a site visit in April, Green Flag judges praised the university’s grounds and the way in which they were managed.
In their feedback report the judges said: “This site is a very fine example of how parks and open spaces should be managed. As ever, when managing public open space, there is a delicate balance to be made between the objectives of public amenity, nature conservation and landscape quality, especially in an educational facility. You seem to have achieved this balance and are to be congratulated.”
Maurice James, Estates Grounds Manager at the University, and his small team, are responsible for the upkeep of around 40 acres across three sites - King Alfred, West Downs and Bar End.
“We are particularly excited to have received a Green Flag Award for the Management of our ‘Green Space’ on our King Alfred Campus, here at the University of Winchester, said Maurice.
“Visitors very often comment on our beautiful grounds and it is a lovely environment for our staff, students and local community to enjoy. The gardening team work incredibly hard in maintaining and enhancing the campus and this award, an international quality mark for parks and green spaces, is testament to that.”
He added: “Our students are here through the darkest and murkiest parts of the year, so it’s important to have plants that give colour and interest, whether it’s from flower or foliage, through those times.”
“The beauty of this site is that there are many different ‘small spaces’ which can each be treated differently.”
In addition to colourful flower beds and neatly trimmed hedges and lawns, the campus has a wild side. As part of the University’s Biodiversity Action Plan, recent years have seen the creation of wildlife ponds, allotments, wildflower areas and native hedgerows.
The grounds teams have also installed bird boxes, hedgehog homes and wood stacks for beetles and insects.
In a bid to be greener, Maurice’s team has also switched away from petrol with most of their hand-held machinery now being battery powered.
Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Sarah Greer, said: “We are delighted to receive this award – it is a testament to the hard work of Maurice and his team over many years. Thanks to them, the King Alfred campus always looks amazing and provides a beautiful backdrop for work and study.
"Our green spaces play an important part in the wellbeing of everyone at the University. They also play an important role in supporting biodiversity and protecting wildlife.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE, said: “The University of Winchester’s King Alfred campus is a vital green space for communities in Winchester to socialise, enjoy nature, for children to play safely and it provides important opportunities for park users to improve their physical and mental health.
“We know that staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that it maintains the high standards of the Green Flag Award, everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.”
Pictured top: The University of Winchester's Estates Grounds team celebrate their Green Flag Award. Pictured from left Nigel Pook (Groundsperson), Laura Dale (Environmental & Sustainability Manager), Jenny Magee (Estates Administrator), Matt Dore (Groundsperson), Maurice James (Estates Grounds Manager), Mark Blake (Grounds Supervisor), Jon Ward (Groundsperson), James McBean (Groundsperson) and Jenny Bembridge (Groundsperson).
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