Three RSPB England nature reserves awarded Visit England accolades
RSPB Minsmere and RSPB Leighton Moss have been awarded the prestigious Gold award with RSPB Burton Mere being awarded for Quality Food & Drink.
On this page
Staff and volunteers on three of our England nature reserves are celebrating after being awarded Visit England accolades for the outstanding experiences they provide.
RSPB Minsmere and RSPB Leighton Moss have been awarded the prestigious Gold award with RSPB Burton Mere being awarded for Quality Food & Drink.
Michael Copleston, RSPB England director, said: "Receiving two gold awards and a Quality Food & Drink accolade from Visit England is a fantastic achievement and reflects the quality of our nature reserves and the dedication and hard work of our staff and volunteers. Our nature reserves across England are wildlife havens for a host of bird species and other animals, as well as being enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. To have two of our amazing reserves - Minsmere in Suffolk and Leighton Moss in Lancashire - celebrated for their 'overall excellence' is a testament to the importance of these places for both wildlife and people."
RSPB Minsmere and RSPB Leighton Moss awarded Gold
Mark Glanville, Commercial Operations Manager at RSPB Minsmere, (pictured) said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive the VisitEngland Gold Accolade for RSPB Minsmere. Attractions that achieve VAQAS Gold have met the highest standards for visitor experience, facilities, and service quality. This achievement is a true tribute to the dedication and hard work of our incredible staff and volunteers, who go above and beyond to ensure every visitor enjoys the best possible experience. Their passion, dedication and commitment make this recognition possible and we couldn’t be prouder.”
Kath Smith, Visitor Experience Manager at RSPB Leighton Moss, said: "We're absolutely thrilled to have been awarded a Gold Accolade from Visit England. It's a testament to the hard work and dedication of our whole team at Leighton Moss who go the extra mile for our visitors and for nature."
RSPB Dee Estuary - Burton Mere Wetlands awarded for Quality Food and Drink
Carl Burleigh, Café Manager at RSPB Burton Mere, said: "We are delighted to receive an excellence award from Visit England for our café here at Burton Mere. Due to the hard work and dedication of all the staff we are now open seven7 days a week and our customer support is growing daily.
We are working with great food and drink suppliers who are locally based and share our commitment to care for the environment. Exciting times are ahead as we work closely with our visitor centre colleagues on events like sunset walks and photography workshops. After a great day on the reserve, we look forward to you visiting us at the café.”
Awarded for outstanding visitor experience
Accolades were awarded to 78 English attractions covering all aspects of what makes an outstanding visitor experience. The five categories include: ‘Welcome’; ‘Best Told Story’; ‘Hidden Gem’; ‘Quality Food and Drink’ and ‘Gold’ for overall excellence.
Visit England Director, Andrew Stokes said: “These accolades put England’s outstanding attractions in the spotlight as they recognise the amazing visitor experiences available across the country. They acknowledge the people who give the warmest welcomes, provide the most mouth-watering food and tell the stories that delight visitors, making them jewels of our tourism offer.
The excellence on show today underlines the quality within the industry, ensuring fantastic visitor experiences. From galleries and museums, breweries and castles to theme parks and gardens, nature reserves and wineries, these attractions go the extra mile to guarantee visitors leave with magical memories.”
Second win for two reserves
This is the second award for RSPB Minsmere and RSPB Burton Mere, having both being given the ‘Welcome’ accolade in 2022.
Minsmere and Leighton Moss featured on Hamza's Wild Isles
Last month RSPB Minsmere and RSPB Leighton Moss featured on Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles - a brand new, 4-part, BBC One series revealing the incredible hidden nature spectacles from across the British Isles, including on RSPB nature reserves.
The episode at Minsmere included the first recording of a Bittern booming for broadcast, and a male and a female Bittern performing a very rarely seen courtship display. Watch the Bittern clip here, or the full episode here.
At Leighton Moss, small shy birds called Bearded Tits gave Hamza the view of a lifetime, watch the full episode here.
To find out more about all that our nature reserves have to offer visit our Days Out page: Find a place to visit this autumn