Berwick Rangers Juniors receives the King’s Award for Voluntary Service from the Duchess of Northumberland

Following the announcement in November, the King’s Award for Voluntary Service was presented by the Duchess of Northumberland in her capacity as Lord-Lieutenant of Northumberland.

Officially the Berwick Juniors Youth Development Trust, it provides football coaching, training and competitive matches and tours for school-aged children in and around Berwick as well as coaching and development opportunities for parents, carers and ex-junior players.

It has been run entirely by volunteers for almost 50 years and is an unsung, but integral, part of the community.

There are currently around 35 regular volunteers who run all training and match-day activities. From washing strips to painting lines on a pitch and from coaching to collecting subscriptions, all jobs are carried out by dedicated volunteers.

As well as Berwick Rangers Juniors, the Duchess also presented the prestigious accolade to the Northumberland Log Bank and Seaton Sluice Community Centre.

She said: “The work of the volunteers within these three charities has made a significant and valuable difference to the lives of others.

“These volunteers are extremely passionate about what they do – their hard work and dedication is an inspiration to us all.”

The committee members at Berwick Rangers Juniors are also kept very busy liaising with leagues and opposition teams, booking pitches and facilities, ensuring finances are healthy and that insurances, safeguarding and safety policies remain fit-for-purpose.

Player subscriptions are kept very low to help inclusivity – therefore, volunteers need to work harder to raise sponsorship and keep a tight control of any costs. They also operate a boot exchange, reusing outgrown football boots.