The Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust has been awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the MBE equivalent for voluntary sector organisations.The award recognises the outstanding contribution made to local communities by individuals devoting their time for the benefit of others. It sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering, with the work of those awarded being judged of the highest standard.
Trust Chairperson Christine Bull said "Of course, we are ecstatic about receiving the award! As a wholly volunteer operated charity undertaking an ambitious project, it is testament to the dedication and commitment of our 200+ volunteers who turn out in all weathers, face all sorts of challenges, keep smiling and make LHCRT such an amazing family."
The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service was first awarded in 2003, and LHCRT is only the 6th Canal Restoration Group to receive it. (Kennet and Avon Canal Trust in 2013, Herefordshire and Gloucesterhire Canal Trust in 2016, Chesterfield Canal Trust and Shrewsbury and Newport Canals Trust in 2017 and Basingstoke Canal Society in 2018).
The Lord Lieutenant for Staffordshire, Ian Dudson was concerned that the County wasn't getting as many awards as he thought it should, so he instigated a drive to increase nominations for 2018-19. We believe that that resulted in a record number, so we are even more pleased to have been granted the award.
The process is that someone outside the organisation must nominate, and two other letters of support are also needed. We are enormously grateful to the 2018-2019 Mayor of Lichfield, Cllr David Leytham for nominating us, and to Peter Hawksworth, Headteacher of Queen's Croft High School and Hayley Dorrington, Senior Heathlands Warden for Staffordshire Wildlife Trust for their superb letters of support. We also found the advice of Deputy Lieutenants Sarah Elsom and Philip Evans, of course given completely impartially, to have been most useful.
It is truly exciting that LHCRT has been granted this recognition as it so very rightly recognises the enthusiasm and commitment of 200 or so regular volunteers who, over the 30 year history of the Trust have consistently risen to the many challenges that have not just been face but which they have also overcome. And they do it with smiles on their faces (most of the time!) and an amazing cameraderie.
As the necessarily word limited citation on the Certificate will say LHCRT is "Restoring a derelict canal to improve the environment and for the benefit of the local community, wildlife and tourists". As, unlike many other canal restoration groups, we are wholly volunteer managed and operated and do not receive any ongoing financial or in kind support from local authorities our local community can have confidence that we will continue to be driven to not just open up the canal route for tourism benefits but that we will also improve the environment for the community and for wildlife.
Later in the year there will be a formal presentation of the Certificate signed by
HM The Queen and the Crystal Award: watch this space for details as they
become known.
Your support is most welcome: become a member of LHCRT, become a
volunteer - either "on the ground" or in the myriad ways we need help behind the
scenes. See our website Volunteering Page for how you can join us,
whether regularly or whenever you can!
Christine Bull
