Coleraine charity Ashes to Gold to receive a King’s Award for Voluntary Service

Ashes to Gold delivers a range of activities, support and therapies through its four main projects, including addiction support, counselling and nature-based therapy to a variety of clients.

Since it was established eleven years ago, thousands of people have been supported through services such as twice weekly drop-ins, the Smart Recovery addictions awareness programme, 1-2-1 counselling, horticultural therapy through the Defence Garden Scheme for Veterans of the armed forces and other nature-based and outdoor well-being initiatives such as angling and forest school.

Ashes to Gold also operates a foodbank along with other forms of crisis intervention. The activities have been delivered to the charity’s clients at its special facilities, including the Moorbrook Fishery in Castlerock, Grow initiative in Macosquin and the Oasis project in Coleraine town centre.

More than 50 volunteers are currently giving an average of 1,550 hours of service each month to Ashes to Gold. At the same time, eight counsellors are delivering in excess of 120 hours of counselling each month.

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service accolade is given to voluntary groups which illustrate outstanding examples of volunteer work. It is the equivalent of an MBE and is awarded for life.

Ashes to Gold was formed in 2013 by Dr Mark McKinney and his wife, Jacqui. It was part of their vision to help transform lives in the community as a sister organisation to their environmental and land remediation company, ATG Group.

Mark said he was honoured and humbled that the charity had been presented with the award.

He added: “This recognition is a tribute not only to our charity’s mission but to every single person who has poured their heart, time and energy into transforming lives alongside us.

“When we first started this journey, our vision was simple yet profound. We wanted to provide hope and support to those in need, turning challenges into possibilities, and offering a safe space for healing, growth and new beginnings.

“Along the way, we have been blessed with an incredible community of volunteers, each of whom shares this vision. Their dedication has turned our vision into a vibrant reality.

“This award belongs to them as much as it does to us. To each volunteer, past and present, we say thank you. Thank you for every hour spent, every compassionate act and every heart touched. You are the foundation of Ashes to Gold.

“This award fuels our passion and reminds us of our purpose. Together, we will continue to turn ashes into gold. Their work, along with others from across the UK, reminds us of all the ways fantastic volunteers are contributing to their local communities and working to make life better for those around them.”

Ashes to Gold Manager Peter Finch echoed Mark’s gratitude to the charity’s volunteers past and present.

He said: “As manager of Ashes to Gold I find it incredibly hard to reflect back to our amazing volunteers how much their investment of energy, passion, skills and time truly means to us and the people we serve. Without our volunteers, we simply could not function and it is wonderful to be able to say to them, ‘This King’s Award is for you and because of you.’”

One volunteer from Ashes to Gold said volunteering benefitted them as much as service users. They added: “Receiving recognition through the

King’s Award feels very special. My time with the charity has benefitted me as much as it has our service users. The award is extremely humbling. We see people’s lives transformed and hearts healed. We truly hope this instils a sense of pride in our community. I am very proud to be a part of the Ashes to Gold team.”

A number of members of the Ashes to Gold team will receive the King’s Award crystal and certificate from Alison Millar, the Lord-Lieutenant of

County Londonderry, next year. This will be followed by two of the team attending a garden party next summer at Buckingham Palace along with

other award winners.