Rectory Lane Cemetery judged Best of the Best 2025

A hard-working volunteer team has scooped an award for their work to protect and enhance their local green space in Berkhamsted. Rectory Lane Cemetery has won the Team of the Year in the annual Best of the Best Awards.

This award celebrates the volunteers behind the success of the green space, which won a prestigious Green Flag Community Award earlier in the year.

The dedicated volunteer team works with the part-time Ranger to keep the cemetery a beautiful community space with well-mown lawns, colourful grave gardens, entrance flower beds and Garden of Remembrance. It is accessible to the public 24/7 and is well used and loved by the community, who have previously voted it as their People’s Choice Award. Wildlife is catered for too with wildflower planting, native hedging, two ponds, four beehives, and wildlife corridors.

Volunteers contribute through a weekly or monthly work party, or the small mowing group or the larger community of grave gardeners, or by undertaking genealogical research, special projects, tour guiding etc. Further volunteer hours are contributed by Chiltern Society Volunteers, Berkhamsted School pupils, and local businesses. The Project is always delighted to welcome new volunteers are hopes this award will inspire others to join it.

The Green Flag Award scheme recognises and accredits high quality and well-managed green spaces and is managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy in partnership with Keep Wales Tidy, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

Rectory Lane Cemetery was among a record-breaking 2,250 parks and green spaces achieving the Green Flag Award this year, with successful submissions from local authorities and other land managers across the country for a range of sites, from world-famous city parks to small, local green spaces, like Rectory Lane Cemetery.

Nominations were received from across the UK for the Best of the Best awards and Rectory Lane Cemetery was selected by the jury for their exceptional contribution.

Green Flag Award manager Paul Todd MBE said: ‘We know that our Green Flag winning sites most likely would not have achieved these high standards without the hard work of volunteers, staff and other groups around the UK who look after them.

‘It’s only right that we continue to recognise the tireless work by Rectory Lane Cemetery volunteers and the thousands of parks staff and volunteers to make their parks and green spaces safe and healthy places from which everyone can benefit. We’d like to congratulate them on their Best of the Best award.’

Parks and green spaces provide many benefits to people, pets and wildlife, including space to exercise, socialise, and improve mental and physical wellbeing – and they also play a part in helping us mitigate and adapt to some of the effects of our changing climate.

For more details about the awards and the winners, visit www.greenflagaward.org.

If you would like to join the Wednesday afternoon work parties (2-4pm) or the small mowing team who organise their own rota during the week as needed, or to adopt and garden a grave and contribute time and care whenever it suits, get in touch: team@rectorylanecemetery.org.uk.