Amazing results in SW Herts for Park week with 11 Green Flags... BUT!

Woodside playing fields

We are blessed with having some amazing green spaces in our area. In recognition for keeping the parks in prime condition for the community to use there are awards. These are Green Flag awards.

This year we have received this prestigious award for 11 green spaces :-

Cassiobury Park, Woodside Playing Fields, Cheslyn House and Gardens, Waterfields Recreational Ground, Callowland Recreational Ground, North Watford Playing Fields, Oxhey Park, St Mary’s Churchyard, Goodwood Recreation Ground, Paddock Road Allotments and North Watford Cemetery.

Cassiobury Park - Water park & Community Hub

The reporting of this amazing achievement has been widespread (in the Watford Observer, and on the council's own website) The credit for the achievement has been awarded to two organisations. Deputy Mayor Peter Taylor (Portfolio holder for client services at the council) has congratulated the council (themselves) and their contractor Veolia for the outstanding work they had done (paid for work mind) that both these organisations have undertaken on our behalf.

It's great that these awards have been given and that our parks are of excellent quality for all of us to enjoy however... let us not lose sight of the fact that they are 'self congratulating' for actually doing their job. This is indicative of a much wider issue that we experience in many aspects of our lives today where we are pleasantly surprised and give awards out for people who actually provide the service they are being paid to do...

Sandy Belloni - cleaning the river in Oxhey Park

In two of the above situations namely Oxhey Park, and Paddock Wood... the most important contributor to the success has been sadly overlooked and omitted. That of the very humble +sandy belloni. Sandy is well known in the area for the tireless hours he puts in at Oxhey Park (with many local volunteers) and also as a key member in the Paddock Woods Allotment Association.

Sandy runs a Facebook Group Friends of Oxhey Park and you only have to look through the posts to see the tremendous energy, enthusiasm and commitment Sandy puts in... wait for it... for little or no reward whatsoever. It's easy to do a good job if you're being paid for it. Sandy does most of what he does for no money and... he helps local young adults gain experience through providing a valuable community service. Veolia would not be able to keep this park up to scratch if it wasn't for Sandy telling them what needs doing... where the graffiti is... what needs sorting out down there...

And yet... everyone knows what a contribution Sandy makes and no one even thought to mention him. This is not an over sight... it is much worse (in my opinion).

Peter Taylor (Deputy Mayor) wrote on the FB Group for Oxhey Park

You are right. I should have have thanked Sandy and the work of all our Friends groups. Apologies for any offence caused. I know that the Green Flag assessors were particularly impressed with the community involvement in our parks.

I for one am very pleased that the Green Flag Assessors were impressed with the volunteers... so impressed they never mentioned them at all...

It is this default mode of the council thinking we're here to give them position and power... rather than they are here to serve their community... that could be partially responsible for the mess we're in today.

Thoughts?