Keep NI Beautiful has awarded four Radius Housing schemes for the high standard of their outdoor green spaces.

This is the second year Radius schemes have been recognised, and two of the schemes, Rathain Fold in Coleraine and Maine Fold in Randalstown, have been awarded the Green Flag for a second time.

The Green Flag Award scheme is a national accreditation scheme which recognises excellence in the management of outdoor green spaces which are accessible to the public. It is seen as a way of encouraging high environmental standards and setting a benchmark of excellence in recreational green spaces. The scheme is administered in Northern Ireland by Keep NI Beautiful. Traditionally the award has been made to parks and other outdoor civic amenity spaces. Radius Housing are the only Housing Association in Ireland to have achieved this award.

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Joining Rathain Fold and Maine Fold as Green Flag holders are Neilsbrook Fold in Randalstown, and Gortgole Fold in Portglenone. The Flags were presented at a special ceremony in Killeavy Castle Estate, Newry, by the founder of Grow It Yourself, author and presenter, Mick Kelly.

Melanie Rintoul, Senior Communities Officer at Radius Housing said: "Last year four Radius Housing schemes became the first housing association gardens to be awarded Green Flags by Keep NI Beautiful, and we are delighted that this year we have again been awarded four Green Flags. It is particularly exciting that Rathain Fold and Maine Fold have been recognised for a second time.

"The real driver for these blossoming gardens are the tenants and staff, who go out of their way to maintain and manage the green space. More and more, these gardens are becoming social hubs, and they are something that everyone involved can be rightly proud of."