Presentation of the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service


made to 


Leigh Ornithological Society on 14th October 2020

                                                                                                     


Present: David Shallcross (L.O.S. Chair), Tony Bishop, Joan Disley, Brian Fawcett, Peter Hodson, Anne Johnson, Martyn Jones, Eddie King, Paul Pennington, Angela Pike, George Pike, Paul Richardson, Liz Haworth (Nominator), John Preston, Alderman Susan Loudon, Steve McGuirk, Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester.


Due to the current Covid situation, the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services was formally presented to DS by Steve McGuirk, Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, via a Zoom meeting watched by the members and supporters listed above.


Steve McGuirk said it was a pleasure to make the presentation of the Award and Certificate to L.O.S.  He remembered from the meetings with L.O.S. members and information he received about the Society that L.O.S. particularly stood out for the environmental work it does, which was unusual in his experience of nominations of ‘bird watching’ clubs. He offered his sincere congratulations and said it was a fantastic achievement.


The Chairman responded as follows:


“This is a wonderful achievement; it is a major honour to receive this prestigious award on behalf of the Society; I am delighted that the Society has been recognised in this way. I would like to pay tribute to the hard work and commitment of the Officers, Committee, valued members and volunteers past and present, not forgetting the Society’s founders of 1971. It is a major honour and an acknowledgement of the work and enthusiasm of our volunteers in promoting wildlife conservation in the local area over the last 49 years. We continue to provide education to the wider population of our Borough and to stimulate the knowledge of our young people through our “Young Birders Team”.


Thank you Steve for taking time to present this Award and for your assistance and direction in helping the Society through the process. Thank you also to Liz Haworth, John Preston, John O’Neill and Avis Freeman for your letters of support, and to Joy Smith for her immense contribution in steering us to a successful award.


Can I now invite you Steve to attend a future Open Day to present the Award again when we will be able to also invite other dignitaries of the Borough and our local press etc. Leigh Ornithological Society is indebted to you for your recognition of our worth in advising Her Majesty’s adjudicators to support our application. On behalf of the Society, I give my sincere thanks.”


DS then showed those present the crystal award engraved in 3D and the Certificate from Her Majesty The Queen (below).  


After a little more discussion, the Chairman then closed the meeting.