Newquay Orchard has been awarded a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is said to be the equivalent to an MBE.
Newquay Orchard is a seven-acre community space with volunteering and education programmes at its core.
With the first tree planted in 2015 and having worked with over 800 volunteers, the organisation has become a well-known and well-loved space in Newquay, offering everything from volunteering opportunities and growing spaces to workshops, events, a co-workspace, a maker space and the community café, known as Canteen at the Orchard.
Newquay Orchard is one of 244 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the award this year.
CEO Luke Berkeley said: “What an honour. I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to our wonderful community.
“I would like to dedicate this award to every single person who has given their time, their energy, their passion to Newquay Orchard to craft the space we have over the last seven years. What we’ve created together is a project for our generation and the next and to say we couldn’t have done it without our team of volunteers is a huge understatement. We are truly built by our community.”
