Roundhay Park: 'Incredible honour' from King Charles for team responsible for upkeep of Leeds beauty spot

The King’s Award was presented to the Friends of Roundhay Park by Ed Anderson, the Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, at a special reception hosted by Dine at The Mansion.

It comes after years of hard work from the team which has seen 5,000 bags of litter collected, countless injured swans rescued and two playgrounds built.

Volunteers also hosted more than 50 forest schools, created four adventure trails, built a sensory garden, renovated a canal shelter, and launched a regular night walk for women.

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The crystal award and signed certificate were presented on Monday (March 11). Sara Dawson, the vice chair of the Friends of Roundhay Park, said: “It is an incredible honour to receive this award.

“It is shared by each and every volunteer, from the volunteers who tirelessly manage our gardens, litter pick and keep our park clean, to the little members of the group who plant snowdrops and attend our forest schools.

“It is also shared by the teams that fundraise and work in the background keeping Friends of Roundhay Park shipshape and working with stakeholders – this is testament to the work you do.”

John Barron, a wealthy industrialist and former Lord Mayor of Leeds, bought the park in the late 19th century and opened it to the public in 1872. Since then, the 700 acres of parkland have been a haven for families, dog-walkers, runners and walkers in the city.

Sara continued: “This award recognises the power that can be achieved together working towards a common goal: to protect and preserve the park for the people of Leeds, just as John Barron hoped for 152 years ago.”