DEDICATED volunteers at Heart of England Forest have proved themselves top of the tree when it comes to helping out.
The selfless band, based at the woodland at Dorsington, have been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, given in recognition of their outstanding volunteer work.
Tim Cox, the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, was on hand to present the award to the team on Wednesday (June 14).
It is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
In the last financial year alone, the volunteers gave an incredible 11,144 hours of their time to help create and conserve the Forest.
Leon has been volunteering with the Forest for over two years.
He said: “I started volunteering as I wanted to help be part of the solution, tackling climate change and addressing habitat loss. The staff and other volunteers have always been so positive, welcoming, and supportive. No matter the activity (and weather conditions) it is always fun, everyone mucks in and there is a real sense of people coming together to make a difference.”
Regular volunteer Patt Richards continued: “I have been volunteering since 2016 and I love tree planting sessions because I get to do something social while feeling like I am doing something useful for the environment. It is so rewarding to see a field planted with new trees and to know that in the future there is going to be woodland there.”
The Heart of England Forest is one of 244 local charities, social enterprises, and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year.
The award was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
Jonathan Saunders, Volunteer Manager, added: “I am so proud of what our volunteers achieve, and I am delighted that they are being recognised in such a significant way with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for all their hard work and dedication to the charity and its goals.”
