Hard-working volunteers who look after ancient woodland in part of Huddersfield have received The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
The award, created in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee, is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK, the equivalent of an MBE.
Woodscape is a charity based in the Bradley, Deighton and Brackenhall area.
Volunteers look after Screamer, Dyson, Bradley Gate and Lower Fell Greave Woods, a connected network of ancient woodland that was badly damaged by fire in 1976.
The woods were neglected and blighted by fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour until Woodscape was formed by four local residents who started looking after them in the early 1990s.
Slowly over the years, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, the woods were transformed into the much loved, valued and well used community resource they are today.
Keith Hunter, a trustee of Woodscape, said: “It is amazing that all the hard work our volunteers past and present have done to restore and improve our little bit of ancient woodland over the past 30-plus years has been recognised in this way.”
Out in all weathers, Woodscape volunteers undertake conservation work to restore the areas of ancient woodland damaged by the fire.
Building and maintaining footpaths and bridges, planting trees and hedgerows, controlling invasive species and running a community allotment are just a few of the things they do every week. Woodscape meet on Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons.
Woodscape is one of 232 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. Recipients are announced annually on November 14, The King’s birthday.
Representatives of Woodscape will receive the award crystal and certificate from Prof Adeeba Malik CBE, the new Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire in the coming months.
In addition, two volunteers from Woodscape will attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in summer 2026 along with other recipients of this year’s award.
