We are delighted to announce that our community-owned shop, run by a group of volunteers based in the neighbouring villages of Huby and Sutton-on-the-Forest in North Yorkshire, has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2025. This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
Our shop is a Community Benefit Society, owned by and run for the benefit of the local community. It operates entirely on the goodwill and dedication of volunteers and any financial surpluses are reinvested back into the shop and the wider community. In addition to its core team of volunteers, the shop provides opportunities for young people to gain experience through the Duke of Edinburgh Award and other work experience opportunities. It offers essential services to residents of both villages seven days a week including groceries, newspapers, local produce and Post Office services six days a week.
A key part of our shop’s ethos is its support for local suppliers and producers, with a selection of locally sourced items such as bread, milk, honey, coffee, spirits and flowers available alongside other everyday essentials. This approach helps support small businesses and ensures that money spent locally benefits the local community directly.
More than just a shop, it serves as a welcoming hub for the community offering a space for connection, support and volunteering opportunities for people of all ages. Those interested in getting involved are warmly encouraged to learn more about volunteering opportunities via the shop’s website or by speaking to a member of the team in person.
Huby and Sutton Community Shop is one of 232 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. Their work along with others from across the UK reminds us of all the ways fantastic volunteers are contributing to their local communities and working to make life better for those around them.
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Her Late Majesty The Queen’s Golden Jubilee and was continued following the accession of His Majesty The King. 2025 marks the third year of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Recipients are announced annually on 14 November, The King’s Birthday. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse and include volunteer groups from across the UK such as a group of dog walkers clearing up their local area in Kincardineshire, a group providing unique flying experiences for people with disabilities in Hampshire, a group supporting veterans and their families across Welsh Valley communities and a group running a museum and nonprofit railway in Belfast preserving Northern Ireland’s railway heritage.
Representatives of Huby and Sutton Community Shop will receive the award crystal and certificate from Mrs Johanna Ropner, Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, in the coming months. In addition, two volunteers from the shop will attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May and June 2026 along with other recipients of this year’s award.
Marina Hilditch, the Shop’s Volunteer Coordinator, said:
“Our volunteers are absolutely delighted that our community shop has been recognised with The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This honour reflects the incredible commitment of our volunteers who give their time and energy to keep the shop running and to serve our villages with warmth and care. It’s a celebration of what can be achieved when a community comes together.”
