A LUDLOW group has received a top award, presented by the Princess Royal.
Princess Anne presented Ludlow Cancer Support Group with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service in April.
This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE, said a group spokesperson. The presentation took place at the Riding for the Disabled-affiliated Cavalier Centre in Much Wenlock, and the princess was accompanied by Shropshire's lord-lieutenant, Anna Turner.
The award comes after, in May 2022, then-high sheriff of Shropshire Selina Graham invited voluntary organisations throughout the county to attend a Shropshire Lieutenancy briefing session to learn more about the (then) Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. Treasurer and webmaster Howard Goslyn attended this meeting, and it was subsequently agreed that an application would be submitted.
Ludlow town councillor Erica Garner nominated the group, and work began on compiling a detailed report and answering the many, in-depth questions.
"We worked closely with our local assessors, deputy lieutenants Nicky Kershaw and Katherine Garnier, and were delighted when we learnt that our application had passed the initial eligibility requirements," a group spokesperson said.
"However, the death of Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth II, in September 2022, delayed the commencement of the full-scale national assessments. By May 2023, The Queen’s Awards had become The King’s Awards, and in October we learnt that the King has approved the KAVS National Assessment Committee’s recommendation that the volunteers of Ludlow Cancer Support Group should receive The King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2023.
"This represents a tremendous achievement and we hope that the group’s volunteers will feel immensely proud of it.”
The official announcement was made on November 14, King Charles' birthday.
Ludlow Cancer Support Group, together with the other seven award-winners, Church and Chetwynd Aston Village Hall, Clun Good Neighbours, Shropshire Child Contact Centres, South Shropshire Engineering Ambassadors, Telford Crisis Support, Home-Start Telford & Wrekin, and The Cavalier Centre, were honoured to be presented with their awards by Princess Anne.
21 members and supporters attended the ceremony on the day.
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