The Wilder Kent Volunteer Awards is run in partnership with Marsh Charitable Trust (MCT). The Marsh Charitable Trust supports 400 charities every year through the Grants Programme and gives around 100 different Awards to individuals and groups from across the charity sector, who make a difference to a cause that they believe in. Kent Wildlife Trust have been working with the MCT for over 20 years and all previous years winners can be found on their website.

Nominations for the Award are put forward by Kent Wildlife Trust staff and approved by the MCT. This year we had a total of 13 nominations for both individuals and teams of volunteers. A small panel agreed on seven overall winners to receive a Wilder Kent Volunteer Award; three teams and four individuals.

Those winners were:

• Sue Trueman – Roadside Nature Reserve and Bee Roads Volunteer
• Rob Insall – Ashford Outdoor Task, Livestock Checker and Survey Volunteer
• Robert “Bob” Eves – Tyland Barn Garden Volunteer
• Robert “Bob” Richards – Sevenoaks Practical Team
• Swale Volunteer Team,
• Fifth Continent - New Coastal Communities and Oral History Volunteers,
• Romney Marsh Forest School and Education Volunteer Team.

Congratulations to all the recipients, you are all worthy winners and we would not be able to do so much for beautiful nature reserves and wildlife across Kent without you!

Each individual receives an award certificate, a silver butterfly and a cash donation from Marsh Charitable Trust.

Quotes about our wonderful winners form the staff who nominated them:

• “He creates an inviting and inclusive atmosphere, which makes other volunteers at Tyland Barn feel welcome”.
• “Bob is an inspiration to other volunteers and staff. He has a wealth of knowledge about the natural world which he willingly shares in his kind and gentle manner with those he works alongside”
• “The volunteers have made a noticeable impact on their sites in recent years, conducting physically demanding work to aid the environmental wellbeing of the habitats on the reserves. They consistently prove their capacity to be inventive, collaborative, able to solve problems and able to have fun”.
• “Rob has become an invaluable volunteer, empowering the team to go further with their projects and ambitions by picking up tasks whenever he can, thus allowing staff to focus on other important jobs. He collaborates well with both staff and other volunteers to get the job done in the most efficient way”.
• “Events at Romney Marsh would simply not have been able to continue without the support of the volunteers. They allow KWT to demonstrate its commitment to helping families access nature and develop a healthy connection with the natural world in their local community.
• The volunteers have not only developed their own interest in nature, but they also actively encourage both adults and children to develop a passion for the natural world”.
• “They worked together well as a team and display the passion, inspiration, collaboration and ambition that is at the heart of KWT’s values”.
• “Without Sue’s dedication, it would have been impossible to run these surveys and KWT would have missed out on gathering important information about these habitats. The Bee Road sites were only designated a couple of years ago and so the information and changes reported from the survey days are incredibly important”.

We would also like to say a big thank you and well done to all volunteers across the trust. It was tough competition and we very grateful for all your hard work and dedication to Kent Wildlife Trust.

Thank you KWT Volunteers!