We are excited to announce that as part of the King’s 2025 Birthday honours, Kington Walks has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE. It marks a very significant achievement. Over 100 volunteers support Kington Walks in a variety of ways, enabling visitors to the town and local people of all abilities to enjoy and benefit from walking.
Edward Harley CBE, Lord-Lieutenant for Herefordshire, said: "I am delighted that Kington Walks has been awarded this honour. It is wonderful that the Kington group of volunteers has enabled so many to enjoy and appreciate the great outdoors and the beauty of Herefordshire. The positive impact for the local community and visitors to the county have been immense."
The award, announced on the birthday of His Majesty the King, recognises the work of all Kington Walks volunteers in promoting walking for its benefits to health, pleasure and wellbeing in the Kington area. It celebrates our two popular annual Kington Walking Festivals, bringing hundreds of visitors to the town, and our weekly Walking for Health programme in partnership with Kington Medical Practice, providing group walks for local people to improve health, support recuperation and offer friendly company. It also recognizes our footpath team’s work to maintain of over 30 miles of the area’s local footpaths, improving accessibility, by mending broken stiles, gates and signs, and by replacing stiles with gates wherever possible.
Since Kington Walks was founded in 2011 we believe we have succeeded in our aim to put our small market town of Kington on the Herefordshire-Powys border on the map as a Centre for Walking, benefitting the town’s hospitality and retail economy and enhancing Kington’s unique character. We would like to thank all our volunteers who contribute in many different ways, for example by leading and back-marking Kington Walking Festival walks in the glorious Herefordshire and Powys countryside; or as weekly Walking for Health leaders; or on working parties to fix the local footpaths. Strong community support also comes from local businesses, the Kington Chamber of Trade and Kington Town Council. Thanks also go to everyone who has supported our walking festivals over the years.
Chair of the Trustees of Kington Walks, Sarah Lee, said: "I am thrilled that our group’s work has been recognised nationally. This is a tribute to so much hard work and commitment over the years, sharing our love of walking and our wonderful local countryside with so many people. It is also a tribute to the community of our great little town where people from all walks of life have come together to make so much happen."
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. Kington Walks is one of 231 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups in the UK to receive the prestigious award this year.
Recipients are announced annually on 14th November, The King’s Birthday. Representatives of Kington Walks will receive the award crystal and certificate from Mr Edward Harley, Lord-Lieutenant of Hereford in the coming months. In addition, two volunteers from Kington Walks will attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May and June 2026, along with other recipients of this year’s award.
