The entire team at Cogges Manor Farm, Witney, is delighted to have won the OCVA ‘Volunteer Organisation of the Year’ Award, which recognises the achievements of volunteers across the County.

Victoria Ellis, Cogges’ Volunteer Coordinator, shared the news from the OCVA Oxfordshire Community & Voluntary Action: “The panel had an incredibly hard time working through an amazing list of nominees. They were thrilled to see a fantastic range of high-quality nominations, all of which told stories of the dedicated and passionate volunteers, and volunteer organisations, that Oxfordshire is fortunate to have. The panel loved reading the submission for Cogges and look forward to meeting representatives from the team in June.” 

Categories for individuals were Young Volunteer Under 25, Long Service Volunteer, Volunteer of the Year and Oxford Brookes Student Volunteer. For a charity or group, there is just one category – Volunteer Organisation of the Year.

General Manager, Guy Reed, said, “We’re delighted to celebrate this award in Volunteers Week! My thanks to all our volunteers for the incredible work they do. 

Cogges Heritage Trust ultimately exists to protect and preserve Cogges for future generations, but this is no small undertaking and takes considerable vision, funding and hard work. This ‘thank-you’ to our volunteers comes from my and the team’s hearts - we look forward to a wonderful summer and great days ahead!”

New volunteer, Chantelle, said: “I joined in March and I do grounds maintenance. I volunteered at Cogges because I love the outdoors, I wanted to learn new skills and meet new people. I really enjoy being part of a group of people that look after and maintain Cogges Manor Farm, which has been around for centuries and is now a place that can be enjoyed by all. It has a very peaceful feel to it. I enjoy seeing the animals each week and making sure the grounds are looked after. When I'm not volunteering I enjoy being on my allotment and spending time with my grandchildren. My favourite thing about Cogges is the history and how long it's been here – it feels special to be a part of that.”

Would you like to make a difference in your local community, learn new skills or take on a new challenge? Find out more about volunteering at Cogges.

Volunteers of Cogges Heritage Trust were awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2022. Designed to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to benefit their communities, and equivalent to an MBE, it is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK.

Thank you to:

Volunteers Week runs 3-9 June 2024