The award was first established in 2002 to celebrate Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee under the name of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS). Following the accession of His Majesty The King, the award continues to celebrate the best of local volunteering across the UK and Crown Dependencies. Equivalent to an MBE, KAVS is the highest Award given to local voluntary groups, and they are awarded for life.

MWT is only the third recipient of this award in the Isle of Man, and it is highly appropriate recognition for the huge importance of volunteers in all we have delivered since MWT was created in 1973. MWT is 52 years old, it was built by volunteers (some still with us today) and for over half our existence was run entirely by volunteers. We now have a paid and expanding staff team, but the 100s of MWT volunteers remain the backbone of how MWT delivers our nature conservation and restoration work.

Our volunteers contribute every day in a huge range of ways, including the maintenance of our 31 nature reserves (i.e. Midweek Muckers, Ballachurry Bashers, and the recently formed Onchan Wetlanders), running the Peel Gift Shop, Nature Discovery Centres and Douglas kiosk, helping out in the office, collecting biological data, responding to seal pupping and cetacean strandings, our two Calf Assistant Wardens, supporting our education delivery, being part of our community gardening groups (including the very new group at Government House), delivering our magazine to members, tree planting and our latest volunteer group at the tree nursery at Milntown.

Our volunteers give their valuable time to help nature in the Isle of Man, and it is fantastic that every single one of them over our 52 years is being honoured by our King. I am extremely proud to have been the CEO when KAVS has been bestowed on MWT, and I thank each and every volunteer from the past, present and future for the support they continue to give us.

We have enamel KAVS badges for every single MWT volunteer to wear with pride! If you are/were an MWT volunteer and haven’t received your badge yet, please ask your volunteer coordinator, or email the MWT office direct enquiries@mwt.im

Leigh Morris 

CEO Manx Wildlife Trust