The Melplash Agricultural Society is very excited to announce that they have been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE. The Award recognises the work of voluntary groups that do things differently, consistently and outstandingly well. The Melplash Agricultural Society is one of only four organisations in Dorset to receive the award this year.
‘This is such an amazing achievement. We, The Melplash Agricultural Society, are delighted that the dedication, hard work and enthusiasm of all our volunteers, committee members and stewards, who work tirelessly throughout the year, has been recognised. Thank you so much, this award belongs to you all.’ said Society Director and 2022 Chairman, James Vickery who was instrumental in attaining the award on behalf of the Society.
Established in 1847, The Melplash Agricultural Society is a registered charity and we rely on hundreds of volunteers each year to help deliver the wide range of activities that the Society arranges in order to meet our charitable objectives which are to promote and support local agriculture and to inspire and educate young people to make it their career. As well as our show case event, the Melplash Show, we hold competitions including flocks, farms and crops, gardens and allotments, Young Farmers’ Stock Judging and our annual Hedgelaying and Ploughing match. We are also proud of Discover Farming, our education programme which delivers learning sessions at our classroom located at Washingpool Farm.
Representatives of the Melplash Agricultural Society will receive the award crystal and certificate from Angus Campbell, Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset later in the year. In addition, two volunteers from the Melplash Agricultural Society will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace 2024, along with other recipients of this year’s Award. Lord-Lieutenants represent the monarch in each of the UK’s ceremonial counties.
The Melplash Agricultural Society is one of 262 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. Their work, along with others from across the UK, reminds us of all the ways fantastic volunteers are contributing to their local communities and working to make life better for those around them.
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to benefit their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee and, following his accession, His Majesty The King emphasised his desire to continue the Award. Recipients are announced annually on 14th November, The King’s Birthday.
Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse and include volunteer groups from across the UK, such as a social support network for disabled adults in Banffshire; a charity using a refurbished pool as a community hub in south Wales; volunteer doctors providing pre-hospital care across rural Cumbria and a village renewal organisation promoting sustainability, equality and social inclusion in County Antrim.
