News from partner organisations – Shropshire Beekeepers Association
Shropshire Beekeepers Association has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2024. This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK as it is the MBE for the volunteer groups.
The Kings Award for Voluntary Service logo
We are one of 281 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Her Majesty The late Queen’s Golden Jubilee and, was continued following the accession of His Majesty The King. 2024 marks the second year of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
The award recognises that since 2016 we have restored and transformed the historic one-hectare Conduit Head site and its historic buildings into a lively base and beekeeping training centre for our 350 members. As a visitor centre, it is a community resource dedicated to the honeybee, pollinators, and the complex ecosystems to which they are essential and upon which they depend. Wildlife has been encouraged by planting wildflower meadows, hedgerows, a traditional orchard, herb garden, shrubbery, and flower bed; a marshland area, wildlife pond and stream revived; bird boxes, bat boxes, hedgehog hotels and log piles for reptiles and insects, installed.
We will receive the award crystal and certificate from Mrs Anna Turner JP, Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire in 2025.
SBKA Chair Glyn Williams said:
“We are proud of what we have created and feel both humbled and energized by the recognition of the phenomenal effort of our volunteers conferred by the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. Although we have restored vandalized buildings and developed the grounds it would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our volunteers and the support of our sponsors and advisors. The award gives further impetus to the development of the site for the enjoyment and learning of future generations.”
More information on the recipients and the Award can be found at
https://kavs.dcms.gov.uk/
