2 April 2025 will go down as one of the most notable dates in the history of Shieldhall, Southampton’s historic steamship and member of the National Historic Fleet.
Shieldhall Chairman Martin Phipps proudly accepted The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) from the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Mr Nigel Atkinson, noting that Shieldhall’s 100 active volunteers were – in her 70th anniversary year – already looking towards 2055 and her 100th birthday!
Martin thanked volunteers past and present, “without whose efforts Shieldhall would not have survived. Today, our ship is the No. 1 rated ‘Thing to Do’ in Southampton on TripAdvisor, with a sailing programme between May and September, and is widely used by community organisations and the services, including for police, ambulance and fire service training. Coastguard helicopter training is hosted, as are Young Carer awards and days out, with Shieldhall providing youth training days and work experience for young students and cadets.”
With the sun shining on Shieldhall’s decks, the Lord Lieutenant introduced the history of the King’s Award – it was first created in 2002 to celebrate Her Majesty The late Queen’s Golden Jubilee, and was continued following the accession of His Majesty The King. Unlike other awards, however, The King’s Award for Voluntary Service – the equivalent of an MBE for voluntary organisations – was an award ‘for life.’
The Lord Lieutenant advised that ‘Shieldhall had firstly to be nominated, and then go through a rigorous selection process, which included visits to the ship and interviews with volunteers. Of the approx. 300,000 charities in the country, this year only 281 were awarded KAVS, and only five in Hampshire.’
Cadet Jardine read the official certificate wording before the presentation of the award, and it is intended that both will be displayed on Shieldhall for guests to view during the coming sailing season.
Supporters of the Shieldhall, including The Lord Mayor of Southampton Cllr David Shields, Mr Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre, Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire, representatives from Williams Shipping, Associated British Ports, the Southampton Ship Owners, National Historic Ships, Veolia, DP World and Whitaker Tankers were all present to help celebrate the occasion and enjoy a volunteer prepared buffet. In time-honoured merchant navy tradition, a special KAVS cake was cut by the youngest volunteer present, in this case 18 year old Aiden Moorman.
Chairman Martin Phipps concluded: “This has been a wonderful day – a time not only to reflect on past achievements and our volunteer base over the last 40 years, but also to look ahead. With our dedicated, inspiring and exceptional volunteers we aim to grow further Shieldhall’s links with the local community and provide first-class experiences for visitors to the ship. Long may she steam!”
