South East volunteers receive royal recognition

Secamb's Eastbourne Area First Responders were among the winners

Voluntary organisations across the south-east of England have been recognised with awards from the King.

A group of first responders from East Sussex, an arts venue in Surrey and an aviation museum in Kent were among those given a King's Award for Voluntary Service.

The highest UK accolade for local volunteer groups recognises exceptional contributions to communities.

They were presented by King Charles III on his 77th birthday on Friday.

Among the recipients was Cranleigh Arts, a community venue run by volunteers, including front of house, box office, cafe and ushering, which offers a programme of live music, theatre and film.

Chairman Brian Freeston said: "This award is a wonderful recognition of our volunteers, who are the lifeblood of Cranleigh Arts.

"Their hard work, dedication and generosity make everything we do possible."

Cranleigh Arts chairman Brian Freeman says volunteers are the "lifeblood" of the venue

South East Coast Ambulance Service's Eastbourne area community first responder team was also honoured, after going to more than 1,000 incidents since the start of 2025.

Team leader Richard Bradford said: "All of our team are extremely honoured and humbled to win such a prestigious award.

"We all took on this role simply because we wanted to help people and to be recognised for the difference we make in our local community is a really special moment for us all."

Eastchurch Aviation Museum tells the story of the Isle of Sheppey's role in early powered flight

The Eastchurch Aviation Museum on the Isle of Sheppey, run by a team of 20 volunteers, also received an award.

The museum tells the story of the island's role in the earliest days of powered flight.

Curator Peter West told BBC Radio Kent: "It was a total surprise.

"It's so worthwhile to have that recognition from years of hard work because everybody concerned with the museum is a volunteer."

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.