A Meirionnydd group has been given the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK for their work during the Covid crisis.
They have been recognised for supporting the community over the past 12 years and for the team’s hard work during the pandemic, helping the elderly and vulnerable by delivering food parcels and prescriptions.
Glyn Jones, team co-ordinator, said: “It is with great pride that this award has been given to this small group of volunteers that have dedicated their own free time to serve their community, not only during normal times, but during the time of crisis when the community needed them most.
“At the start of the pandemic we were stood down from our community first responder duties but still wanted to do something for our communities.
“I noticed long queues outside the pharmacist so approached them and with colleagues Scott Moncrieff, Libby Catherwood and Damien Williams, arranged a delivery service every day to get prescriptions to those in need and the elderly. We’d sometimes get as many as 300 a day.
“Whilst we were knocking on doors, if somebody needed a food parcel we would try and help with that, or if someone wasn’t well we’d make sure the ambulance or family knew about it. It was nice because we got to know more of our community and they got to know us.”
Representatives of the team will receive the award later this summer, and two volunteers from the team will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2022.