Bailiffgate Museum and Gallery in Alnwick has won the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
The volunteer-run museum is one of 250 groups named in the King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2026, published on Saturday 14 November.
The awards are given each year to groups “in recognition of their outstanding voluntary work in the community”, and every winner has a one-line citation in a supplement to the London Gazette.
It is one of six Northumberland winners this year, alongside Blyth Lifeguard and Swimming Club, Alnmouth & Lesbury Cricket Club, BOOST (Building Opportunities for Our Students Together), the Dialogue Society and the Isabella Heap Volunteers Group.
Why Bailiffgate won
The museum is honoured as “a people’s museum where fascinating heritage stories and art from Alnwick district are shared”, the Gazette citation says.
It opened in 2002 in the old St Mary’s church on Bailiffgate, close to Alnwick Castle, and is “led and run by a team of dedicated volunteers”, its website says.
Two floors of exhibits cover 10,000 years of the area’s history, with a third floor for exhibitions that change through the year.
The museum had 42 volunteers and an income of £365,163 in the year to March 2025, according to the Charity Commission.
Jean Humphrys, chair of trustees, said: “This award is a tribute to the dedication, enthusiasm and hard work of our volunteers, whose commitment makes Bailiffgate such a welcoming place to explore, learn and enjoy,” in a statement on the museum’s website.
Glen Sanderson, leader of Northumberland County Council, called it “wonderful news and a testament to the hard work and ambition we have seen”.
Blyth’s beach lifeguards
Blyth Lifeguard and Swimming Club is honoured for “helping children and adults stay safe and happy in and around water and learn life skills”, the citation says.
The club is run entirely by volunteers and provides a voluntary lifeguard service on Blyth Beach in the summer, as well as swimming lessons, lifesaving and first aid classes, it says.
Its volunteers also visit local schools to teach first aid and CPR.
Club chair Gavin Little said: “Our volunteers are at the heart of everything we do, often giving countless hours behind the scenes to ensure our members have the best possible experience.”
Both groups say they will receive the award from the Lord-Lieutenant of Northumberland, Dr Caroline Pryer, in the coming months, and two volunteers from each will go to a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in 2027.
Do you volunteer with any of the six winners? Tell us in the comments.
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