A CHARITY is celebrating after being presented with the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK.

The Richmondshire Buildings Preservation Trust was given the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service to recognise the work it has done in the community.

The award was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of The Queen's coronation and is known as the MBE for volunteer groups.

At a special ceremony at Scampston Hall near Malton, on September 27, Peter Scrope, Vice Lord Lieutenant for North Yorkshire presented the award on behalf of The Queen to the Trust.

Accepting the award, chairman of the trust Ian Hepworth said: “I am delighted that all our volunteers past and present have been recognised for their hard work over many years.”

The trust has been running The Station, in Richmond, since 2007.

The building was built in 1846 and formed the terminus of the branch line to Richmond. The station closed in 1969 and was converted for use as a garden centre.

In 2002 the old Richmond Station building, now a Grade 2* listed building, became redundant, and £2.7m was raised with grants and funding to re-open The Station in November 2007 as a venue for film, food and art.

Mr Hepworth said: "Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust’s aims are to acquire and develop significant heritage buildings for diverse community use and commercial viability.

"The Station now includes an art gallery, café bar, shop, cinema and local independent food and drink producers. It has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, following years of planning, fundraising and development work. "It is now a well known landmark that is appreciated by residents and visitors alike."

More recently, the trust has undertaken the work to preserve and restore Richmond’s Old Grammar School, aided by a first-round grant from the Heritage Enterprise Lottery Fund and from the Architectural Heritage Fund. The trust is currently working towards saving the school to be used as a sustainable community hub, providing community facilities with complementary commercial use to ensure its future viability.

Mr Hepworth added: The Old Grammar School and The Station, in the same management, can complement one another’s facilities and each promote the other. Both buildings, and Mercury Bridge which links them, were designed by G T Andrews.

To find out more about trust’s projects, or to volunteer, visit www.richmondshirebpt.co.uk.