Stanley Park volunteers receive their Queen's Award

Members of the Friends of Stanley Park and Salisbury Woodland attended a ceremony at County Hall in Preston where they were presented with the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

Friends group chairman Nigel Patterson, previous chairman Elaine Smith and members Betty Bradford, Carole Thaw and Gill Howard attended the ceremony at County Hall in Preston on behalf of the group.

They were awarded a certificate and piece of crystal from the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire Lord Shuttleworth.

The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service is the highest accolade given to volunteers in the UK, and equivalent to an MBE.

The friends group has been running for 20 years and was formed when the park was refurbished thanks to a National Lottery grant.

Achievements have included the building of a visitor centre which is staffed solely by volunteers who also raise funds for projects in the park, as well as organising regular community events.

This year has seen the floral clock replanted to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, with designs created by student Amy Connolly, as part of a partnership with Myerscough College.

Popular Sunday afternoon concerts at the bandstand have also returned this year, after they were suspended during the Covid pandemic.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee with recipients announced each year on June 2, the anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation.