AN Ulverston park is in the running to be named one of the best open spaces in the UK after being nominated for a national award.

The Green Flag award is a country-wide competition to find and celebrate our finest parks and green spaces.

Earlier this summer Ford Park celebrated its third Green Flag in a row. The scheme is equivalent to the Blue Flag scheme found at our country's cleanest beaches.

Now members of the public have been asked to decide which is the fairest park in the land by casting their vote in the Green Flag People's Choice Awards.

Cat Moffatt, volunteer manager at Ford Park, said: “To be awarded the Green Flag is a fantastic acknowledgement of the hard work from the staff and volunteers here on a daily basis.

"To gain an award which has been voted for by the public – the users and supporters of the park – would be the icing on the cake.

“We hope people will spare a few moments to vote for us – as it really will make a difference.”

The Green Flag Awards, run by Keep Britain Tidy, issued a record-breaking 1,797 flags during 2017.

Some of the criteria used to judge Green Flag parks include cleanliness, friendliness to the environment and the impact on the community.

The volunteer team at the charity-run Ford Park are hopeful further recognition will encourage even more support their way.

Since freeing itself of debt last year, Ford Park has worked to expand its role in the community. It now hosts a nursery garden, vegetable patch and also caters for weddings.

To vote for Ford Park to win the People's Choice Award, visit www.greenflagaward.org.uk.

Find Ford Park on the interactive map and click the vote button. Voting for the awards closes on September 30 with the top 10 sites announced on October 11.