Guernsey Conservation Volunteers has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2025.
This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and Channel Islands and is equivalent to an MBE.
Guernsey Conservation Volunteers (GCV) has been actively conserving the Bailiwick of Guernsey’s natural environment since 1996. Conservation work parties take place every Wednesday morning and alternate Saturday mornings throughout the year on a variety of sites. These work parties are an opportunity to venture outdoors to do hands-on conservation work while visiting new places, learning new skills and making new friends.
Maintaining and enhancing biodiversity is a key focus of GCV and the removal of invasive non-native plants is one way to achieve this. Volunteers have removed more than 250 tonnes of invasive non-native Sour Fig and this removal has increased biodiversity by enabling native plants to regrow and spread. These native plants provide food and shelter for insects and small mammals which Sour Fig does not. Currently, the group is focussed on removing invasive Stinking Onions (Allium triquetrum) in Bluebell Wood with more than half a million bulbs removed over the last four years. Without this work, the native Bluebells on this iconic site would be lost forever.
In 2025 alone, over 200 volunteers have supported GCV conservation activities. These volunteers have ranged from regular members to school groups, community groups, holidaymakers and volunteers from 22 different businesses. Each year GCV’s reach into the business community increases with more individuals and work teams getting involved as part of their corporate social responsibility programmes.
GCV is one of 232 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year across the UK and Channel Islands. The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Her Late Majesty The Queen’s Golden Jubilee and was continued following the accession of His Majesty The King. 2025 marks the third year of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Recipients are announced annually on 14th November, The King’s Birthday. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse and include volunteer groups from across the UK, such as a group of dog walkers clearing up their local area in Kincardineshire; a group providing unique flying experiences for people with disabilities in Hampshire; a group providing support to veterans and their families across Welsh Valley communities; and a group running a museum and nonprofit railway in Belfast preserving Northern Ireland’s railway heritage.
Representatives of GCV will receive the award crystal and certificate from the Lieutenant-Governor, Lieutenant General Sir Richard Cripwell in the coming months. In addition, two volunteers from GCV will attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in 2026, along with other recipients of this year’s award.
Angela Salmon, GCV Operations Director, said: ‘‘We are absolutely thrilled that GCV has been awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. Thank you to all the volunteers over many, many years who have given their time to support our small, local charity. This Award is the highest recognition for our volunteers and supporters and it will be with great pride that our group continues its important conservation work.
“Receiving this award is a huge honour and we hope it will further raise awareness and the profile of conservation needs in our island and of the value of volunteering.”
