Greenham Common Trust wins third award
The Duke of Gloucester presented one of the trust’s directors, High Sheriff of Berkshire, Charles Brims, and the trust’s chief executive Stuart Tagg with a commemorative glass bowl and scroll after it received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development at Broadway House, Newbury.
This is the third consecutive period for which the trust has received the award, which is granted every five years, after it also scooped the title in 2003 and 2008, for its regeneration of the former airbase at RAF Greenham Common by turning it into a sustainable business park.
Since it was created in 1997, the trust has generated more than £18m for charitable causes in West Berkshire and North Hampshire, and in recent years has provided £300,000 for the purchase and refurbishment of Greenham Community Centre, £450,000 for a digital X-ray machine for West Berkshire Community Hospital and £2m to fund The Slater Centre, a purpose built training and storage facility for local voluntary organisations
As part of his visit the Duke was shown around Broadway House, which is owned by Greenham Common Trust and leased to voluntary sector and counselling organisations.
On presentation of the award, the Duke said: “It is a great pleasure to come to Newbury and to join in with a day of celebration.
“I find myself handing over the Queen’s Award quite often to all sorts of clever people who have done amazing things and helped our economy.
“Whoever thought of creating Greenham Common Trust deserves credit for having anticipated the need for a charity to be able to select this (a grant) to keep it going.”
Mr Brims said: “I am delighted to receive this Queen's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development on behalf of Greenham Common Trust and our chairman Sir Peter Michael.
“It is a great organisation, and is a major force for good in West Berkshire and North Hampshire.
“It hits all the right buttons for environmental, social and economic benefits to our community.
“As a result of good development and management the trust is now able to give over £2m to good causes in the local area every year.
“I congratulate and thank Stuart and all at Greenham Common Trust for deserving it.”
Mr Tagg added: “The money we make is only as good as the purpose to which it’s put and for that we really must recognised the local organisations that deliver to the community.”
Other guests on the day included the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, Mary Bayliss, chairman of West Berkshire Council, Adrian Edwards and chairman of Greenham Parish Council, Tony Forward.
