By John Baron
A group of Farsley and Rodley volunteers who helped restore a neglected 250-year-old
burial site have received The King’s Award for Voluntary Service at a special ceremony.
The King’s Award – the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and
equivalent to an MBE – was presented to members of the Friends of Farsley Rehoboth
group on Sunday.
Attendees at Calverley Golf Club heard how volunteers have invested over 37,000 hours
in the reclamation of the historic site from decades of neglect.
Work started with the charity’s purchase of the overgrown and neglected official
Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in 2019 and its subsequent transformation into a
community asset.
Sunday’s event saw the award presented to volunteers by King Charles’s representative,
HM Lord-Lieutenant, West Yorkshire, Ed Anderson who was accompanied by two Deputy Lord-Lieutenants’ Gordon Tollefson and Paul Lawrence.
Founder chairperson of the Friends of Farsley Rehoboth, Richard Hainsworth, paid tribute to
volunteers and supporters who have transformed the graveyard from an ‘impenetrable jungle’.
He said: “The transformation of a graveyard on Coal Hill Lane is a remarkable story. There is still work to do.
“The past six years have been a real community effort which has brought together the
villages of Farsley, Bagley and Rodley.”
John Barker, founder secretary, said the charity had been recognised nationally which
involved volunteers from aged 13 through to ‘several decades later’ (92 years) and from
different backgrounds.
The work of the charity is funded by grants, donations and events fundraising.
Lord-Lieutenant Ed Anderson told the ceremony that between 25 to 30 West Yorkshire
organisations were nominated for the award each year and that winners ‘had to be
exceptional’.
He paid tribute to the Friends’ work ‘restoring community dignity’ and respecting both civilian and Commonwealth war graves, as well as preserving local wildlife.
As well as the group receiving the main engraved glass award and framed certificate,
individual awards acknowledged the contributions of Bishop Parkman from the Farsley Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Robin McDermott, Peter Hutchinson, John Giles of Springfield Mills, William and John Gaunt of Sunny Bank Mills and Richard Hainsworth of AW Hainsworth.
In addition, two volunteers from The Friends of Farsley Rehoboth Burial Ground will
attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in along with other recipients of this year’s
award.
The Friends of Farsley Rehoboth Burial Ground is one of 281 UK local charities, social
enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the 2024 award.
If you wish to visit the Rehoboth, or get involved, contact:
- Email: farsleyrehoboth@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.farsleyrehoboth.org.
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