THE Warrington Litter Volunteers has been officially presented with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service by the Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire, Lady Redmond, during a civic ceremony hosted at Warrington Town Hall.
The presentation marked a memorable milestone for the newly appointed Mayor of Warrington, Cllr Sagheer Zaman, who hosted the local heroes and royal representatives on his very first day in office.
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest accolade a local voluntary group can receive in the UK, widely regarded as the MBE for volunteer organisations.
The Warrington Litter Volunteers, which consists of a coalition of over a dozen dedicated local groups—including teams from Winwick, Croft, Peel Hall, and the Woody Wombles—was recognised for its transformative environmental work across the borough.
Since expanding its operations in 2019, the network’s 4,000 active members have collected more than 44,000 bags of litter and recycled over 300,000 aluminium cans, keeping Warrington’s streets clean, green, and vibrant.
Taking over the mayoral chains, Cllr Sagheer Zaman expressed immense pride that his inaugural duty involved celebrating the town’s most dedicated volunteers.”What a way to dive in—my first day as Mayor and I’m already hosting royalty and local heroes,” said Cllr Zaman.
“Seeing this incredible team’s hard work, dedication, and community spirit recognised with such a prestigious honour was heartwarming in every way. This award is so richly deserved.”
Former Mayor Mo Hussain, an active volunteer with the group, was also in attendance to deliver a speech celebrating the networks’ evolution and ongoing legacy.
Accepting the crystal award on behalf of the coalition, Keep Britain Tidy Litter Heroes Ambassador Dr Tony Dixon emphasised that the royal stamp of approval would continue to inspire civic pride and shift public behavior regarding waste.
The ceremony highlighted not only the network’s environmental achievements but also its charitable impact. Through a specialised recycling partnership with Novelis, the group transforms crushed aluminium cans into funding, raising over £4,000 for the Orford Veterans Hub to support local ex-service personnel.
Following the formal presentation by Lady Redmond, the town’s volunteers were treated to a celebratory spread provided free of charge by local business AK’s Kitchen, marking a triumphant evening for Warrington’s community leaders.
