
2025 Awards Anniversaries
27 January, 2025The MCT now runs over 100 Awards with 46 partner organisations, which we endeavour to hold longstanding relationships with. We are pleased to be able to share below some Award anniversaries that we will be celebrating this year.
This year, we will be honouring two organisations that we have worked in partnership with for 25 years. Since 2000, we have run the Marsh Awards for Children’s Services Volunteers with Barnardo’s. These Awards recognise individual volunteers, young volunteers and volunteer teams that dedicate their time to helping children, young people and families across the UK. Over the last 25 years, our partnership with Barnardo’s has developed and now includes a number of other Awards that help to recognise a wider range of volunteers. This year we will also be celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Marsh Award for Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, an Award that recognises those who have made efforts to recognise and celebrate quality and diversity either locally, or nationally. It is also the 10th anniversary of the Marsh Award for Fundraising Volunteer of the Year that recognises individuals or groups of volunteers who have demonstrated an excellent level of support to raising vital funds for Barnardo’s.
We have worked closely with the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (RBGK) for 25 years, developing our Awards partnership regularly to increase the recognition of both professionals and volunteers dedicated to botany. Our Marsh Botany Award was the first Award that the MCT developed with RBGK, and recognises an individual’s lifetime achievement and contribution to botanical research and conservation. We are also celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Marsh Awards for Volunteering with RBGK. Kew has over 800 volunteers, and these Awards are used to recognise a number of committed individuals who give their time at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst.
We are celebrating a number of 20-year anniversaries this year, including the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). We have run the Marsh Horticultural Society Research Award with RHS since the inception of our partnership. The Award recognises PhD students who have made exceptional progress in their studies, and is aimed at encouraging their career development.
This year is the 20th year of our Marsh Ecology Book of the Year Award run in partnership with the British Ecological Society, and the Marsh Award for Marine and Freshwater Conservation run in partnership with the Zoological Society of London. Both of these Awards celebrate professional careers and their contributions to environmental research.
2025 celebrates the 15th anniversary of our partnerships with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), and the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT).
Our Awards with BTO have comprised of the Marsh Award for Local Ornithology and the Marsh Award for Ornithology since 2010, with the addition of the Marsh Young Ornithologist of the Year Award, introduced in 2015. Each year these Awards are presented at the Annual Society of Wildlife Artists Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London.
Similar to our partnership with BTO, our relationship with CCT has also developed over the last 15 years. We began our relationship with CCT with the Regional Volunteer Awards that recognise individuals from across the UK who are dedicated to the conservation and protection of local churches. Within our numerous Awards with CCT, this year we are celebrating the 10th year of the Marsh Award for Fundraising Volunteer of the Year, for those who have made considerable contributions to raising funds for the organisation.
This year we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of our relationship with the Canal and River Trust. The organisation protects the canals and their environments throughout the UK, with the help of their many volunteers. Our Awards have changed over the years, always recognising the contributions and dedication of their volunteers, volunteer teams and young volunteers.
St Mungo’s is a charity and housing association working directly every day with people who are sleeping rough, in hostels and at risk of homelessness. We have run the Marsh Volunteer Awards with St Mungo’s for 10 years, which recognises the invaluable contributions of their volunteers.
As well as recognising volunteering in a social welfare setting, the Trust also recognises volunteering in heritage. The Marsh Volunteer Team Award was introduced in 2015 in partnership with National Historic Ships. This is awarded to a team of volunteers who have made a valuable contribution to the conservation, or operation of historic vessels in the UK. Without these teams of volunteers, historic vessels would lack the important and necessary maintenance work that they need to stay active.
The MCT is grateful for all of our Award partnerships, and this year we are excited to welcome some new developments within the scheme. Please visit our Partners page where you can find all of our Award partner organisations, and the Awards that we run with of the each organisations.