The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service has been presented to the Mountain Bothies Association. The presentation was made to Association Chairman, Simon Birch, by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County and City of Bristol, Mrs Mary Prior and the Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Dr Timothy Chambers, at a ceremony in Bristol yesterday.
The MBA is a charity and was established in 1965, exactly 50 years ago. It has around 3,700 members, and, with the consent and support of their owners, undertakes the restoration and maintenance of old cottages, huts and similar buildings throughout the wilder parts of Scotland, England and Wales for use, without charge, as open shelters for walkers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Many of the buildings that are cared for by the MBA would otherwise have become derelict. The Association currently looks after almost 100 such shelters (bothies). All of the restoration and maintenance work is undertaken by volunteers and is financed by member subscriptions and by donations. The Association does not receive any public subsidy.
In 2014, the Association spent over £44,000 on maintenance activities at 59 bothies and volunteers contributed over 1152 working days.
The Queens Award for Voluntary Service was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and winners are announced each year on 2 June – the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation. The QAVS is the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities. It is the equivalent of the MBE for individuals.
Walkhighlands ran an article featuring a selection of bothies earlier in the year.