King Meets Queen for MBE Honour

Congratulations to Cardiff Rivers Group founder member Dave King, who has received an MBE for "services to the environment" in November's Investiture.

Dave was accompanied to Buckingham Palace by his wife, niece and dad, to whom he dedicated his award to.

Dave said: "It was a wonderful day and I'm so pleased I got to share the experience with my family, they were chuffed to bits, thoroughly enjoyed it."

"I found out I'd been nominated for the MBE about a month before it was announced in June so I've been nervous and excited waiting for this day to come."

"When we arrived at Buckingham we were welcomed by an honour guard of the Household Cavalry who lined the stairs and I was then shown into a waiting area where I met some lovely people also receiving MBEs and OBEs, from all over the country."

"We only found out about an hour beforehand that it was the Queen who would be presenting us with our awards as it can also be hosted by The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge or Princess Anne."

"My first thought when I was told it was the Queen was ‘that's great!' It was really a once in a lifetime experience."

"The Queen was lovely, she congratulated me and took the time to speak to us all individually. She seemed genuinely interested in the volunteer work we're doing here in Cardiff."

"I have the medal sitting on my sideboard just now as we decide where to put it."

Dave set up Cardiff Rivers Group with 5 fellow Keep Wales Tidy volunteers in 2009 and a decade later, the group has gone from strength to strength with an excellent committee and over 600 supporters and volunteers on their membership list. They are  working with organisations and companies including Cardiff Council, The Harbour Authority, Viridor, Cardiff Parks Services, Natural Resources Wales, Love Where You Live, McDonalds Companies House, Dwr Cymru and of course Keep Wales Tidy.

In parallel to setting up Cardiff Rivers Group, Dave started Keep Grangetown Tidy and was instrumental in getting Keep Splott Tidy off the ground. He also set up ‘The Dusty Shed' - a charity based around the Men In Sheds idea that aims to help men in social isolation.

Since receiving his MBE on Thursday, Dave was back to work three days later, leading a large clean up and litter pick at Hamadryad Park on Sunday.

He said, "We had 35 volunteers out with Cardiff Rivers Group on Sunday and we collected 120 bags of litter together with loads of loose rubbish."

"It's great to see communities looking to get more interested  in looking after their local area. I really hope this will continue to grow."

Congratulations Dave and thank you for making such a difference to Cardiff, this award is truly well deserved.

Feeling inspired? Get Involved! Find more information and events from Cardiff River Group and visit Keep Cardiff Tidy for more information on volunteering.