Anger as volunteers not invited to ceremony naming park as one of Doncaster's best

Sandall Park was one of seven Doncaster parks awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award – the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

But the first members of the Friends of Sandall Park group knew about the award was when council chiefs shared details of the honour for Dunscroft’s Quarry Park on social media.

Sandra Crabtree, who stepped down as chairman of the group last year, but who is still heavily involved in caring for the Wheatley park, said: “We would have loved to have been at our presentation - but we weren't told about it!

"Value your volunteers! We only found out about it when we saw photos of Quarry Park's presentation.

“Congratulations to them and all the other groups. Am I bitter? Too right!”

Community clean-up campaigner Daniel Barwell added: “Interesting how Friends of Sandall Park wasn't actually invited to their presentation. First park in Doncaster to ever get it too!”

Campsall Country Park, Bentley Park, Hexthorpe Park, Elmfield Park. Sandall Park, Quarry Park, Cusworth Hall Park all received the accolade in a record breaking year for Doncaster.

Strict criteria must be met to attain – or retain – Green Flag status including it being a welcoming place, healthy, safe and secure, well maintained and clean good environmental management, biodiversity, landscape and heritage, community involvement, marketing and communication as well as management.

Of the awards, Mayor Ros Jones, said: "Our parks and green spaces play a vital role for within our communities as a place to walk, relax, exercise and meet friends.

"It is great news that these prestigious parks have achieved Green Flag status and is testament to the hard work and dedication of the teams that maintain these great spaces for everyone to enjoy."

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.