Queen’s Award For Voluntary Service Given To Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve

Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve in Catterick Garrison have been honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

Volunteers at Foxglove Covert come from all walks of life including local schools, military personnel and of course individuals who live nearby and have a love for nature. They work tirelessly sharing their skills and knowledge to maintain and develop the reserve’s mosaic of habitats. Found within the boundaries of Catterick Garrison, the largest garrison of the British Army, the reserve is home to more than 2600 species and is open for everyone to visit and appreciate.

Foxglove Covert LNR is one of 241 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations remains high year on year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them.

Often described as the MBE for voluntary groups, The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen's Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of The Queen's Coronation. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse.

Representatives of Foxglove Covert LNR will receive the Award crystal and certificate from Mrs Johanna Ropner, Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire later this summer. Furthermore, two volunteers from the group will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2022 (depending on restrictions at the time), along with other recipients of this year's Award.

Chair of the reserve's Management Group, Lesley Garbutt, acknowledged the importance of receiving the QAVS award: "Having been a volunteer at Foxglove Covert myself for the past thirteen years I know how dedicated and hard-working our volunteers are. Without them Foxglove Covert would not be what it is today, and I am so pleased that they have been recognised by Her Majesty the Queen."