Bankside Open Spaces Trust celebrates double awards success

At last month's Octavia Hill Flower & Vegetable Show the charity celebrated the news that it has won the UK UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Award , Urban Wildlife Award for Excellence 2013.

The award is is for bringing people together to create inspirational urban green places that reconnect people and nature in the Bankside area.

BOST has also received the Royal Horticultural Society's Britain in Bloom 2013 Certificate of Distinction for exemplary work in community gardening.

"This is a fantastic achievement and reflection on a long journey since the days I remember of seeing burnt out cars on Mint Street Park, or the local park that was so forgotten someone might lock their own pit-bull into it and go off to work," said Tim Wood, chair of BOST’s trustees.

"We have worked with local people to reclaim a network of green places and ended up with beautiful gardens like Red Cross Garden, Tate Community Garden and the Diversity Garden.

"We have also enabled a network of Edible Bankside community growers on housing estates through the area to thrive. I would like to thank all our partners and volunteers for making this possible.

"There is still much to do: the revitalisation of Waterloo Millennium Green, the next phase of Mint Street Park and the creation of the exemplary Sports Garden at The Marlborough, but more importantly the further empowerment of individuals and groups in our neighbourhood. We dedicate these amazing awards to them."

BOST director Helen Firminger said: "Staff, volunteers, and trustees are really delighted to be receiving two awards of such significance.

"We have a brilliant plaque with a UNESCO logo on it to share, and a certificate and accolade from the Royal Horticultural Society. All this means our volunteer community and partners will know that their work is valued, not just locally but across the country."