Queen honours conservation group

29 July 2010

Creating a pond in Coed-y-Felin, Lisvane

Cardiff Conservation Volunteers (CCV), a group co-founded by John Newton, an Assistant Director in the Finance Division has been awarded a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, for their outstanding work in the local community.

Known as the ‘MBE for Volunteer Groups’, it is the highest award given to volunteer groups who provide major benefits to the local community.

CCV was established in 1978 by four people. Today it has more than 100 volunteers who carry out invaluable work protecting and maintaining the local countryside.  The group includes a diverse range of volunteers who operate every Sunday and also run conservation weekends.

Archbishop of Wales blessing the garden created around St. Teilo’s Church in Cathays

The primary aim of the group is to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment. CCV also aims to preserve the traditional skills that are involved with conservation work such as dry stone walling, felling trees, fencing and hedge-laying

John Newton said: “When we started more than 30 years ago, words such as biodiversity and sustainability were not frequently used, but we have carried out our work planting trees, coppicing, making ponds and clearing waste land over the many years.”

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation. To win the award, the group went through a review process involving the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the county. Cardiff Conservation Volunteers were one of only four winners in Wales this year.

CCV will be allowing staff and students to come out with them to see the work they do as part of Sustainability Week 2010 running in November this year.

Please follow the link for more information on how you can get involved with Sustainability.