FORD Park in Ulverston has been given two thumbs up after being declared one of the best parks in the country.

The Ulverston park has been granted the prestigious green flag status for the second year in a row.

The Green Flag scheme was set up in 1997 by Keep Britain Tidy as a way of celebrating the best parks and open spaces in the UK.

Similar to blue flags for beaches, the scheme seeks to acknowledge Britain's best parks for cleanliness, sustainability and benefit they provide for the community.

Ford park is now one of the 1,424 parks that are viewed as being the best in the country.

Read about the second Ulverston marathon that set off from Ford Park.

This is particularly special for the group, whose staff is made up entirely of part time or volunteer workers.

For the head of the group, this award comes as a great source of pride.

Alison Alger, the centre manager of the park said: "This year we had a secret visit and we didn't know that anyone was coming.

"We are the only private park in Cumbria to be honoured with this award.

"For our volunteers who work for free, it is a really recognition of the hard effort they they put in."

The park, which was bought from the County Council to save it from development, is run and maintained entirely by volunteers and part time staff.

"People aren't aware that it is only volunteers that empty the bins, pick up litter and maintain the garden," said Mrs Alger.

During a normal week, between 15 and 20 volunteers come to work at the park, supported by administrative staff.

The park was formerly the grounds of Ford Park House, built in the 1860s for Montague Ainslie, who owned the Grizedale estate near Hawkshead.

The house passed through several families until it was taken over by Ulverston District Council in the 1930s.

Now the park is owned by a community group, having bought it from the council in 2005 with help from the Architectural Heritage Fund.

From a tentative start, the park has greatly expanded to meet the needs of the community.

There are communal gardens that anyone is free to maintain, as well as places to grow fruit and veg, or spend time in the park's cafe.

Projects like these are why the park was nominated as the green flag programme recognises more than just a park's cleanliness.

The impact a park has on the communities is a key factor on deciding if it gets a green flag or not.

An important park of the work that Ford Park does is making sure that it provides a space for everyone to enjoy, whether they are dog walkers or gardeners.

Mrs Alger said: "The park is about meeting the community's needs. It's a place for dogs, a place for children and for families."

Read about the tragic death of a four-year-old boy at a caravan park near Grange-over-Sands.