Many of the people we support prove themselves to be excellent additions to our community. But this week we have seen the most impressive achievement so far from someone who arrived here from Sudan in 2022 and has chosen to make Evesham his home.

This week, our friend Karim, as a member of the group who have made such a wonderful job of restoring the medieval Evesham Abbey Gardens became the proud recipient of the King’s Award for Voluntary Service at a presentation made by Mrs Elizabeth Spencer, Vice Chair of the Abbey Trust – https://www.eveshamabbey.org.uk/Home.html – on behalf of the monarch.

A small group of us were thrilled to be invited to support Karim at this event and it was a real joy to hear the kind words said by Mrs Spencer and the other volunteers about the difference his contribution, and that of another refugee, with whom we have now sadly lost touch, due to the rather random Home Office movement regime, had made to the early days of restoration when much of the work required both strength and determination.

For those not aware of the importance of the King’s Award, I would recommend you look at the website https://kavs.dcms.gov.uk/, where it states: ‘Equivalent to an MBE, KAVS is the highest Award given to local voluntary groups in the UK, and they are awarded for life.’

Karim is now the proud owner of a certificate signed by the King, a KAVS pin and a crystal paperweight showing the logo and is able to put the initial KAVS on his CV. A true honour for all the Abbey Trust Volunteers, but a very special, albeit well-earned, privilege, for this young man who arrived with literally nothing just a few years ago.

All the EVWR family are immensely proud of him and his achievement, and we hope the rest of Evesham will be too!