Severn Valley Railway volunteers honoured
The hard-working and dedicated band of more than 1,300 volunteers who keep the Severn Valley Railway running have officially earned the royal stamp of approval.
They carry out tasks year-round, from maintaining stations, rebuilding bridges and restoring locos and period carriages to operating the route and organising events.
Now the railway, and all the volunteers, have been presented with the prestigious Queen's Award for Voluntary Service during a ceremony at the railway, which runs from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster.
In celebration, four long-standing volunteers from the Severn Valley Railway, Hugh McQuade, Columb Howell, Gary Williams and Martin White, were invited to the Queen's Garden Party at Buckingham Palace this year.
As an impressive reminder, the railway has now been presented with a commemorative piece of crystal and a certificate signed by the Queen. Lt Colonel Patrick Holcroft, Lord Lieutenant for Worcestershire, attended the ceremony at Kidderminster Station.
He said: "What remains at the heart of the Severn Valley Railway is that volunteers formed the railway and it is volunteers that today run and maintain this very successful organisation."
Alan Longdon, deputy chairman of SVR Co Ltd, accepted the award. He said: "None of us do it for rewards, but this award is warmly received."
