Luke, Karen, Rich and Kate are among the 60+ volunteers involved in making the farm tick over, and they made their way to Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Garden Party. The farm was selected to receive the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for the huge input of the volunteers.
Young Gloucestershire sent a National Citizens Service group of people down the week before to paint the café, whilst Errol Paterson was roped in to build a ‘tack room’ and spent a week on the project. Errol normally helps out with our PA systems and all the volunteers spent extra time clearing up the site ready for Dame Janet Trotter DBE to come and present the award on behalf of HM The Queen.
Reyaz had to make a trip in the morning to the opening of the new gateway service station and present Prince Charles with some organic honey from one of the hives that he keeps, and was back in the afternoon to deliver the speech thanking the volunteers and supporters.
Whilst many people came and thanked and congratulated Reyaz and me in particular for the Award and the work, it must be pointed out there are many, many people in the background who are involved but not always seen, and many have come and gone on to other things but they all have played an important role. Many of them do the jobs in the background like taking the manure away, fixing our vehicles or repairing the fencing or a tap, maintain the finance records or clear the leaves but it all helps. Some of the previous volunteers during the four years since we have taken over, were fundamental to the construction of the café, the riding arena and more, whilst others cleared large areas of debris by hand mostly, in order for the disused land to be put to use. Each volunteer or team of volunteers have been fundamental to the success of the project and allow the farm to get better and better. There are too many people to mention but congratulations to them all, and also to those groups or individuals who help out for one job, it all helps!