A West Cumbrian arts and heritage group has been officially presented with the UK’s highest honour for volunteer groups.
Cockermouth’s Kirkgate Arts and Heritage was awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service for its work in the community and dedication of its volunteers.
The Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria, Alexander Scott, handed over the award to Rob Higgins, chair of the Kirkgate’s board of trustees, at a celebration event attended by Kirkgate volunteers, staff and trustees.
The prestigious award is equivalent to the MBE.
Mr Scott, the King’s representative in Cumbria, was accompanied by Deputy Lord Lieutenants Chris Holmes and Caroline Thomson.
After handing over the certificate signed by the King and the domed glass crystal award, he said: “You should all be very proud. This award represents a great day for the organisation.
“The requirements are demanding. It needs to be volunteer-led, largely volunteer delivered and well ran in all areas.”
Mr Higgins added: “The award is for outstanding achievement by groups of volunteers and we’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all of you, our volunteers, who play such a crucial role in the life of the Kirkgate.
“We’ll be putting on over 400 events in the coming year across a wide range of activities. We’re also planning some significant infrastructure improvements.
“We couldn’t do any of this without the help of our 100-plus volunteers so a big thank you to all of you.”
Local assessors researched and visited nominated groups before writing a report on their suitability. Local assessment panels then decided which ones to put forward to the National Assessment Committee, which considered the nominations and agreed a shortlist for approval by the King.
After the presentation, Mr Scott formally unveiled the civic trust public information panel that celebrates the history of the Kirkgate building.
The panel traces its history from its opening as All Saints National School in 1869, through a time of neglect in the 1970s and 80s, to its conversion to the arts and heritage centre today.
Central to the rescuing of the Kirkgate was Peter Colley, then vice chair of the civic trust, which led the campaign in 1990 to save the building from demolition, such that it could be used for community use.
The information panel recognises Peter’s major contribution to what the Kirkgate Centre is today and has been funded in his memory by his widow, Barbara.
Barbara, who was then secretary of the civic trust, also played a significant role, particularly on funding. Their son, Dan, represented Barbara at the ceremony.
Dan talked about the pleasure that his mother has about the panel and how his parents would both be so pleased to see how well the building is being used today.
