A rural reason to cheer

THERE was something particularly special for country people when one of the prestigious King’s Awards for Voluntary Service was presented last week.

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This ‘MBE’ for groups of volunteers is a hard-won and much-envied decoration. This was the first time it has ever been awarded to a county show and all the volunteers who run its educational outreach, helping young people to understand farming and the rural environment. The Suffolk Agricultural Association (SAA) has led the way in this work and, now, more than 800 volunteers all over the county help to open up the countryside to young people.