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Record breaking year for Finland's Green Flag Award winners

17 August 2023

Image 1: Mikkelipuisto, Mikkeli. Photo: Pihla Liukkonen

A record 19 Finnish parks and green spaces have achieved the Green Flag Award for 2023.

The results were announced at the annual Lepaa Landscape Exhibition on the 17th August.

An amazing seven new winners were announced, alongside 12 existing sites that have been successfully re-accredited - many of which have held the international Award for several years.

This marks the largest number of Green Flag Award winners in any European country outside of the British Isles.

The Green Flag Award® is a non-profit international accreditation programme that recognises and rewards well managed parks and green spaces. Today the Green Flag Award proudly flies above more than 2,400 places in 17 countries around the world. The programme is managed in Finland by the Finnish Association of Landscape Industries (Viherympäristöliitto ry) and internationally by UK environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.

Harju Campus Park, Ravijoki. Photo: Harju learning center
Image 2: Harju Campus Park, Ravijoki. Photo: Harju learning center

The winners in Finland for the 2023-24 season are:

Site Name

Managing Organisation

Pikku-Vesijärvi Park

City of Lahti

Keskuspuisto

City of Paraine

Finby Liikuntakeskus

City of Paraine

Kellonumme Cemetery

Espoo Parish Association

Mikkelipuisto

Etelä-Savo Koulutus Oy

Marketanpuisto and Axxell Överby Campus

Friends of Marketanpuisto and Axxell Överby

Lepaa Campus Park

Häme University of Applied Sciences

Harju Campus Park

Harju Learning Center

Sapokan Vesipuisto

Kotka City

Katariinan Meripuisto

Kotka City

Jokipuisto

Kotka City

Sibelius Park

Kotka City

Fuksinpuisto

Kotka City

Snellmaninpuisto

Kuopio city

Jokilaakso Tourist Garden

Lapua City

Naisvuori

Mikkeli city

Hupisaarti City Park

Oulu City

Perhospuisto

Riihimäki city

Hatanpää Manor Park and Arboretum

Tampere City

 

Carl McClean, International Development Manager for the Green Flag Award said:

"Congratulations to all the winners in Finland. It's great to see the fantastic parks sector here being recognised with so many Green Flag Awards."

"Our partnership with VYL goes from strength to strength. We really appreciate their efforts to showcase the many quality parks of Finland through the Green flag Award programme"

Finby Liikuntakeskus, Parainen. Photo: Frank Lauren
Image 3: Finby Liikuntakeskus, Parainen. Photo: Frank Lauren


History in Finland

The Green Flag Award has been recognised in Finland since 2016, when the first Green Flag Award was awarded to the park on the Lepaa campus of Häme University of Applied Sciences.

First time winners in 2023 include: Harju Campus Park in Ravijoki, Jokilaakso Tourist Garden in Lapua, Hupisaarte City Park in Oulu, Riihimäki Perhospuisto, Snellmaninpuisto in Kuopio, Mikkelipuisto in Mikkeli and Finby Liikuntakeskus in Paraini.

For more information on the Green Flag Award in Finland, contact: Heidi Ovaska at Viherympäristöliitto ry:

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 0405925810

 

To find out more in general, or apply for an Award, whichever country you are based in - explore the Green Flag Award website and click here for a contact form.