THE founder of Andover Trees United has been recognised by the Royal Voluntary Service as a Platinum Champion.

The Platinum Champion Awards are an official Jubilee project to celebrate outstanding volunteers across the country who are making a difference every day.

Wendy Davis, an ex-primary school teacher, founded Andover Trees United (ATU) in 2012, a volunteer-led group working with schools, businesses and local authorities to improve access to natural spaces and promote wildlife conservation.

Wendy won her award in the category of Children and Young People for her tireless work with ATU over the past decade. It has been her mission to bring environmental education and nature connectedness to all, but especially to young people, and as she often says, “no child should be left behind”.

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To date, 10,000 children from Andover and the surrounding villages have planted trees through the Harmony Woods project and an annual Schools’ Tree Planting Fortnight has now been established in 30 local schools.

If that wasn’t enough, thousands more children and adults have been involved, informed and inspired by the huge array of ATU community projects and opportunities that Wendy has spearheaded along the way and, last year, over £110,000 was raised to build an off-grid, sustainable, field-study base and volunteer room in Harmony Woods.

As a result of her work, Wendy was invited to attend the Platinum Party at the Palace on June 4 and to the Kia Oval cricket ground the following day for the Big Jubilee Lunch - an event hosted by the Eden Project and the Royal Voluntary Service.

Guests included Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, the 70 Platinum Champions, plus special guests and celebrity ambassadors.

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The Platinum Champions Awards, launched by Royal Voluntary Service in honour of Her Majesty the Queen’s 70 years of service, have given the opportunity to celebrate the remarkable contribution of all volunteers, who are the backbone of the country.

Thousands of people aged from 16 to 101 from all over the UK and supporting a range of causes were nominated and from these nominations, 490 volunteers have been hand-picked by a judging panel presided over by The Duchess of Cornwall, and crowned Platinum Champions.

All 490 Platinum Champions received a specially designed pin and a signed certificate from HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.

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