VOLUNTEERS at Salisbury Cathedral have been honoured with a prestigious award.

The group has received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

The Cathedral has a team consisting of nearly 650 volunteers, carrying out a range of roles that cover tomb dusting, embroidery and flower-arranging to stewarding, guiding and assisting during services.

Sarah Rickett, director of learning and outreach at Salisbury Cathedral, and Stephen Dunn, head guide, attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace last month at which the Queen and other winners were present.

Salisbury Cathedral’s volunteers were among 193 bodies to recognised for their work.

They will receive the award from Sarah Troughton, the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire at Evensong in the Cathedral on June 22.

The Very Revd June Osborne, Dean of Salisbury said: “It is wonderful for our volunteers to be recognised in this way.

“Each and every one plays a significant role in the life of the Cathedral and we depend on them to maintain our high standards of welcome and worship.

“They are an extraordinary group of individuals, all with impressive talents, skills and knowledge, which they generously lend to us daily. They are an example to us all.

“As well as working at the Cathedral, the volunteers are also part of the Cathedral family, a marvellous support network that engages with worship, events, music and outreach.

“An irreplaceable group of individuals without whom the Cathedral would not be the vibrant, busy and happy place it is today.

"We have much to be grateful for and through this award we would like to thank them with all our hearts.”

Mrs Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire said: “The Cathedral is one of the county’s most iconic buildings and, like many organisations across Wiltshire, it relies so much upon the work of wonderful volunteers who play such a significant and valued role.

“I would like to offer every one of them my congratulations.”