Blyth Battery Volunteers 'humbled and proud' to receive The King’s Award
The Blyth Battery Volunteers community group has been named as one of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2025 recipients.
This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
The group is dedicated to preserving and running Blyth Battery, a historic First World War and Second World War coastal defence site at South Beach. They operate the site as a museum on the weekends – while in season, it is closed over the winter.
Volunteers provide guided tours, support school visits and organise events, most notably the annual ‘Blyth Battery Goes to War’, along with smaller events throughout the year.
A spokesperson for the group said: “We are incredibly humbled and proud to receive this award.
“We rely on our volunteers and the generosity of donations to keep local military history alive for the community and for future generations.”