The Lord Lieutenant Presents HRGS with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
By Richard Emmett
On Thursday 22nd July, the Historical Research Group of Sittingbourne (HRGS) / Heritage Hub were presented with their Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Kent, The Lady Colgrain. The award for ‘Promoting local history through research, exhibitions, events and publications’ was initially bestowed on them in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List on the 2nd June 2020. However, the presentation ceremony had been delayed due to the national Covid situation.
The ceremony was held in the atrium of the Forum Shopping Centre in Sittingbourne, in the presence of many HRGS members and Heritage Hub volunteers.
Richard Emmett opened the event by introducing the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Lady Colgrain, Deputy Lieutenants, Kate Lampard CBE DL and Joanne Holmes MVO DL (pictured below) with His Worship the Mayor of Swale Cllr Paul Stephens and Mayoress Cllr Sarah Stephens. Miss Kate Lampard then read the Citation for the Award.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – the MBE of volunteering, aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups that benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Kent, The Lady Colgrain, said at the presentation, “The Historical Research Group of Sittingbourne (HRGS) believes that ‘history is the glue that holds a community together’, and this is certainly demonstrated by the phenomenal range and breadth of historical research and activity undertaken on behalf of your community.
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Fig 1: Ceremony at the Forum Shopping Centre
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Fig 2: Lady Colgrain speech with Deputy Lieutenants and Richard Emmett
HRGS is so much more than a historical research members group. It has become a valuable local community resource, developing the volunteers as well as building significant engagement with the local community through the Heritage Hub. The group’s mission to ‘bring history alive’ and to be the doorway to local history and heritage is more than achieved. You have all been instrumental in helping to regenerate the town and create a deeper sense of community”.
Richard Emmett, the chairman of Historical Research Group of Sittingbourne, said,” I am immensely honoured that the group’s dedication has been recognised for a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. It reflects the huge enthusiasm shown by its volunteers in the promotion of history locally. Although affected by the covid situation, the Heritage Hub had to be closed when required, but we continued to maintain contact with our researchers and volunteers electronically throughout by holding virtual meetings and deliveries. We are pleased to be able to re-open the Heritage Hub and to display the award proudly”.
In addition, Richard said, “We are grateful to all our sponsors, supporters, volunteers, and would like to pay thanks to Praxis, the owners of The Forum, for allowing us to use their unit and be able to work collaboratively with them on staging heritage events in the centre.”
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Fig 3: Lady Colgrain
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Fig 4: Stephen Palmer, Don Harris, Richard Emmett, Lady Colgrain and Theresa Emmett, John Weeks Middle
Fig 5: Archiving display
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Fig 6: Display boards - membership
To celebrate the event, all attendees were provided with a glass of non- alcoholic ‘bubbles’ and a piece of specially commissioned cake (from Bailey’s Coffee Shop) to mark the special occasion. After this, Bill Croydon, former chairman of HRGS, spoke about the hard work done by the members and volunteers.
The Lord-Lieutenant of Kent, The Lady Colgrain, together with the Mayor and Mayoress of Swale, spent time talking to members of HRGS and Hub volunteers before making a tour of the Heritage Hub to see the exhibition space and find out more about the group and the various activities the group participate. Amongst those they met was 98-year-old Ernest Slarks, whose book ‘Onward Christian Soldier’ was published by HRGS.
Before leaving, the Lady Colgrain was presented with a floral display Evelyn (aged 6) and
Eliza (aged 4), granddaughters of HRGS Committee members Don and Jacky Harris.
The volunteers had also provided displays showing many of the activities that HRGS are involved with in the atrium; these including WW1 and WW2 research, digital archiving, and archaeological activities, as well as displays from partner groups – Kent Archaeological Society (https://kentarchaeology.org. uk), Wheels of Time (https:// wheelsoftime.uk) and the Swale Migration Project (https://www. historicswale.org.uk/projects/64- swale-migration-project ).
As well as the presentation of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, HRGS also celebrated the re-opening of the Heritage Hub with its new signage. Our thanks to all those who helped to make it such a special day.
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Fig 7: WW1 displays
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Fig 8: KAS display
A rare chance to acquire a collection of Archaeologia Cantiana. The only volume missing is the extremely rare 1939 index, which suffered from wartime production problems.
The current owner would love to find a home for the entire set rather than individual volumes. They would grace any study or living room, contain wonderful illustrations, especially the early volumes, including the much sought-after Volume 1. There are 162 volumes in all, so say a figure offers in region of £600 and buyer to arrange collection.
For further details, please get in touch with Richard Bidgood at rnbidgood4@btinternet.com