TWO West Somerset charities were celebrating on Friday (November 14) after winning the coveted King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS).

The award, equivalent to an MBE for individuals, is the highest given annually to UK voluntary groups, celebrating outstanding work by charities.

This year’s local recipients are Exmoor Community Bus Association (ECBA) and the Thomas Poole Library (TPLNS), in Nether Stowey.

Deputy Somerset Lord Lieutenant Justin Sargent, who oversees the county’s nomination process on behalf of the Lord Lieutenant said: “I am delighted that each of these groups has received the highest recognition for their work in their communities.

“They are very different organisations, but they show the extraordinary impact small groups of volunteers can have, making Somerset a better place for everybody.

“I congratulate them.

“As well as richly deserved recognition for their hard work, the Kings Awards for Voluntary Service will enhance the reputation of these groups and raise their profile, helping them attract support for their work.”

Jan Ross, from the community bus association, said: “We are absolutely delighted and feel humbled to have received this award.

“It recognises the work we have been doing for the last 42 years.”

ECBA provides a wide range of lifeline community benefits across an area of rural and isolated communities on Exmoor.

It is run by a group of 12 volunteers who are supported by the whole community of South Exmoor in forming an essential year-round element of building social inclusion across dispersed and deprived communities of all ages.

They range from frail older people, often with mobility issues, to school age children, enabling access outside their local area to essential services and opportunities.

Many of the individuals could not live independently in their own homes without the vital bus service.

The charity also helps a number of local volunteer organisations providing group trips to events, theatre shows, and garden club outings.

It also supports Rotary, which organises the Exmoor Youth Challenge event and the Exmoor Perambulation with more than 500 young people taking part, and provides an essential service for local people to access shopping and facilities in both Minehead and Taunton.

Thomas Poole Library secretary Eliza Sackett said: “All of us at the library are delighted, grateful, and proud to receive a King’s Award.

“We are all thrilled, and so grateful that our efforts have been recognised.”

TPLNS is as an innovative community-led initiative demonstrating how a library can evolve into a vital social and cultural hub.

It is set apart by its entirely volunteer-led management structure, the breadth of its community engagement, and adaptability in addressing local needs.

Somerset Council provides book stock and access to the library management system, but TPLNS operates independently, guided by a governance framework developed by its trustees.

It is not just a library, as in addition to providing traditional library services, it has expanded into becoming a community space for storytelling sessions, school visits, chess evenings, ‘knit and natter’ events, and cultural talks.

TPLNS also offers display space, supports a patient participation group, and hosts meetings for community organisations.