A ceremony was held at a county stately home in August to present a prestigious award to a local charity. The Friendly Transport Scheme (aka the Friendly Bus) transports people in the Broseley and Much Wenlock areas to and from important appointments, and it was awarded the ‘MBE for charities’ earlier this year. The event took place at the Broseley home of Lady Forester and the presentation of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was made by Lord Lieutenant Algernon Heber-Percy as drivers, former drivers and supporters of the scheme looked on.
Chief executive Marie Monk-Hawksworth said, “We are delighted and honoured that the Friendly Transport Service and its volunteers have been recognised with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. I’d like to thank everyone involved and the Forester family for allowing us into their beautiful home.”
The citation made by Julie Wynn explained that the service is “a key weapon in defeating the risks and effects of social exclusion in the remote southwest of Shropshire… The National Lottery has identified the FTS as an ‘exemplar’ organisation, citing it in a case study illustrating its ‘power to change communities’.”
