Green Flag Award welcomes the Launch of the New Queen Elizabeth Trust

Keep Britain Tidy and the Green Flag Award welcomes the announcement of the newly established Queen Elizabeth Trust. 

Launched to mark the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth, this independent, UK-wide charity has been established to honour the late Queen’s lifelong commitment to public service. With His Majesty The King serving as Royal Patron and supported by a £40 million government endowment, the Trust is set to embark on a vital mission: the regeneration of shared spaces that act as the beating heart of local life. 

We look forward to learning more about the Trust's operational plans as they develop. However, even at this early stage, we see a clear and exciting alignment between the Trust’s purpose and our own long-standing work. 

"We welcome the launch of the Queen Elizabeth Trust," said Paul Todd MBE, manager of the Green Flag Award. "The Trust’s focus on 'regenerating shared spaces that bring people together' resonates deeply with our core mission. At Keep Britain Tidy we strive for a clean and healthy environment, rich in wildlife and valued by people who ‘love where they live,’ and the Green Flag Award programme is dedicated to ensuring that everybody has access to quality parks and green spaces, irrespective of where they live." 

The Queen Elizabeth Trust was formed following the recommendations of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, which spent two years engaging with diverse groups across the four nations, including the Green Flag Award. Inspired by the late Queen’s belief that “everyone is our neighbour,” the charity will provide funding and targeted support to restore and sustain communal areas, while also helping communities gain the skills needed to deliver local events and activities. 

Sir Damon Buffini, Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Trust, has emphasised that the organisation’s goal is to create spaces where “people of all ages and backgrounds can meet, connect, and belong.” 

As the Trust begins its work, we are interested in how this initiative might complement efforts to foster a greater sense of pride and stewardship in our communities. 

"Whether it is a neighbourhood hub or a revitalised park, these are the settings where community life truly flourishes," adds Paul Todd MBE. "We look forward to seeing how the Trust’s work will contribute to a lasting, living legacy that makes a tangible, positive difference in the lives of people across the country." 

The Queen Elizabeth Trust is one of three memorial projects—alongside a national memorial in St James’s Park and a digital memorial—designed to honour the late Queen’s legacy at local, national, and global levels.