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Town Team wins The King's Award for Voluntary Service
The wide-ranging activities and achievements of Buxton Town Team members have won national recognition with a King’s Award for Voluntary Service. The highest honour a voluntary group can receive in the UK, the award is the equivalent to an MBE.
Buxton Town Team was founded in 2012 with a mission to advance the prosperity of the town and the wellbeing of its community and a motto: “All together, better”. It now has over 400 volunteers – and everyone is welcome to join.
Since its launch the Town Team has notched up a series of successful projects such as the revival of Buxton’s outdoor market, the annual Spring Fair – both now operating independently - and improved Christmas lights around the town.
Groups of its volunteers have taken on responsibility for maintaining the Slopes, Ashwood Park and other open spaces, as well as litterpicking and regular spring cleans. The Baublers team, supported by other local groups, creates and installs town centre decorations celebrating Christmas, the summer festival season, Remembrance Day and special occasions such as the coronation.
A dedicated Sustainable Travel Group is developing a network of safe routes for walkers and cyclists and has published a series of walking and activity guides. It is also working to establish a new light rail link between the town centre and the start of the Monsal Trail at Blackwell Mill.
“It’s a real honour for us to receive the King’s Award,” says Town Team chair Lesley Caddy. “This is recognition of the hard work and dedication of our wonderful volunteers – it’s all about teamwork.”
Buxton Town Team is one of 231 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups nationwide to receive the prestigious royal accolade. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the late Queen’s Golden Jubilee and has continued, following the accession of King Charles. 2025 marks the third year of the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Representatives of the Town Team will receive an award crystal and certificate from the Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire Liz Fothergill, and two will attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace this summer.
In other news...
VLR rail project on track
Community volunteers are celebrating a major milestone in their campaign for a light rail link between Buxton and the Monsal Trail.
Since 2022, Buxton Town Team has been working on the project to provide a service between the town centre and the start of the Peak District trail at Blackwell Mill. Running along existing freight lines, it would provide a safer alternative for trail walkers and cyclists than the narrow and busy A6. While the group has made significant progress, it lacks the financial resources for the vital next step – a detailed business case for the service.
Now EMCCA (the East Midlands Combined County Authority) has stepped in to commission the study, overcoming a major stumbling block.
“We have been very fortunate to win the support of a wide range of organisations, but we’re a community organisation made up of volunteers,” says Tina Heathcote of the Town Team’s sustainable travel group. “We know from experience how challenging it is to raise funds from feasibility studies. This next stage requires more investment than we can reasonably raise. So, we are delighted that EMCCA has stepped in and we’re very grateful for the encouragement we have received from East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward, her Sustainable Travel Ambassador Alan Simpson and colleagues.”
Established in 2024, EMCCA will invest £2bn in transport improvements across the region over the coming years. Mayor Claire met Town Team members in Buxton and on the Monsal Trail earlier this year to discuss their proposals.
Buxton Town Team’s project has been backed from the outset by Transport Design International, manufacturer of the Revolution electric very light rail train. The group has also received significant technical support from Network Rail and funding for an initial study from the Community Rail Partnership and private donors. It also managed to raise funds for a further £27,000 study confirming that the service would be financially viable.
If the business case is positive, trains could be operating from as early as spring 2027.
Our first podcast launched!
Buxton Town Team is hoping to tempt more people out of their cars with the launch of its latest project... a podcast.
The Sustainable Travel Group has launched a series of podcasts taking listeners on bus rides through the Peak. Member Maria Passingham (pictured on the left), a podcast professional, was inspired to create Great Days Out on the bus from Buxton by the booklet of the same name, written by Town Team director Sarah Rawlinson (right).
The mini-series of audio adventures means anyone can hop on the bus, take their seat and share Maria's exploits and encounters around the Peak District. For more details see our Media page.
King's Award nomination
Buxton Town Team has been officially nominated for a King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) - so a big thank you to all members and volunteers for helping us to gain this recognition.
The award is given to groups within the voluntary sector who make a difference to their communities – and a nomination is an achievement in itself.
We have given a presentation to Deputy Lieutenants, who will determine if we are deemed to be deserving of the award. The result it due later this year – fingers crossed for a positive result.
We love Buxton museum!
Town Team members joined others in demonstrating our love for Buxton Museum & Gallery – and our dismay at the prospect of losing the collection – after the building was closed a year ago by Derbyshire County Council. The rally was organised by We Are Buxton community forum of which the Town Team is a member.
Discover the new Buxton Tree Trail
Town Team member and IT wizard Doug Colton has been at it again – this time launching a free app to guide locals and visitors around the surprising number of tree species to be found in the Pavilion Gardens.
Doug has also attached 85 tree labels in the Gardens and another 8 in the Serpentine following a suggestion by Brian Shepherd, a fellow driving force behind Friends of the Pavilion Gardens (now part of the Town Team).
The PG Tree app is available to download, free of charge, on Apple and Android phones – why not give it a try and discover the 40 species to be found on our doorstep?
Other free apps created by Doug include Peaky Wonders, Hike Buxton and Bike Buxton.
