University receives fourth green flag award for stunning campus

Monday, 28 July 2014

raising the green flag

Our stunning Whiteknights campus has once again been judged as one of the best green spaces in the country, with the award of the prestigious Green Flag.

The Award, which has been given to Whiteknights for the fourth consecutive year, is a sign to visitors that the campus is well-maintained and well-managed, with excellent facilities.

At the ceremony to hoist the Green Flag over the Whiteknights campus, David Savage, Chief Operating Officer, said: "We are delighted to have gained a Green Flag Award for the fourth year running. Our attractive grounds continue to be a factor which differentiates Reading from our competitors. Recent student satisfaction surveys have highlighted the fact that the ‘attractive campus environment' is a key factor in undergraduates choosing to study at Reading.

"Whiteknights is also an important resource and green space for the local community. I thank the University Grounds staff for all their hard work as well as the efforts of many volunteers who help in the Harris Garden or lead guided health walks for visitors to campus each week."

The Award also recognises the University's environmental and sustainability initiatives - our green waste re-cycling and composting, energy conservation and carbon reduction targets, bio-diversity initiatives such as woodland management and our car sharing and green travel initiatives.

The Green Flag Award scheme, run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the UK. Grounds management, innovation and the way facilities are tailored to the needs of the community are taken into account.