News
Eric Black awarded MBE
Eric and Hazel Black.
Rhyl resident Eric Black is pictured with his wife Hazel at Buckingham Palace after receiving the MBE from the Prince of Wales at the Investiture Ceremony held on Friday, November 27th, 2009. The medal was awarded “for services to the community of Rhyl, Denbighshire”.
The grand ceremony which took place in the Palace Ballroom was attended by over 95 recipients plus their guests and during the event a selection of music was played by the Orchestra of the Royal Artillery. The splendidly uniformed Household Cavalry were also in attendance along with the Yeomen of the Guard.
Eric is the Secretary and Treasurer of Rhyl South West Central Residents’ Association (RSWCRA) and has been a leading member of the campaign to save the Botanical Gardens. He and his wife Hazel have been stalwart members of the volunteers who run the community café at the gardens. Eric has also been instrumental in raising over £150,000 from various bodies for the improvement of the gardens and liaising with the local authorities with whom he has established a friendly relationship and gained their respect and admiration.
In 2003 the future of the gardens and café looked bleak and without his dogged persistence the considerable improvements that have been brought about in the Botanical Gardens as a result of the work of the Residents’ Association would not have succeeded. This culminated in the first ever Royal visit to the Gardens in 2007 by the Earl and Countess of Wessex and last year RSWCRA were awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
The part played by Eric and his wife Hazel in transforming the uncertain future of the Botanical Gardens and adjoining Coronation Gardens was further recognised by Rhyl Rotary Club last year when they presented the couple with the Rotary Community Service Award for 2008 which is presented annually by the Club.
Apart from this charity work Eric and his wife Hazel help out making the tea and catering to the people who frequent the Botanical Gardens Café. There he can regularly be found sweeping up, emptying the refuse and taking a turn making the tea in between chatting to the customers.
George Owen.
Queen Rewards Rhyl's Botanical Gardens Volunteers
On December 5th, 2008, the Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd presented the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service to Rhyl South West Central Residents' Association (RSWCRA) at Rhyl's Botanical Gardens. They are the only group in North Wales to have been found worthy of the award this year and the assembled volunteers were delighted and proud to receive a commemorative plaque signed by Her Majesty and a piece of engraved Royal Crystal Glass.
At the presentation, also attended by Councillor Ray Bartley, Chairman of Denbighshire County Council, Councillors Glyn Williams and David Thomas, the Lord Lieutenant read out the citation of the Award as follows:
"Elizabeth the Second,
By the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories, Defender of the faith, to
Rhyl South West Central Residents' Association
Operation of a café, a local community centre and charity fundraising with an annual Fun Day.
Greetings!
We being cognisant of the said group's outstanding voluntary work in the community, and being desirous of showing Our Royal Favour do hereby confer upon it:
The Queen's Golden Jubilee Award
For voluntary service by groups in the community 2008 for such period as the group continues to provide its current service and do hereby give permission for the authorised emblem of the said Award to be displayed on the group's letterhead and other public material.
Given at Our Court of Saint James's under Our Royal Sign Manual this second day of June 2008 in the fifty-seventh year of our Reign." Signed: Elizabeth R.
The presentation took place in the former Bowling Pavilion at the Botanical Gardens which has been totally refurbished with the aid of grants totaling nearly £30,000 from the following: NPower, the Councillors' Community Funds, Rhyl Town Council, and RSWCRA's own fund raising activities.
The Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd, Trefor Jones, who grew up in Rhyl, said that "it gave him great pleasure to officially open the new centre and he was delighted that this grassroots community effort was being encouraged and rewarded with the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service."
The new centre will now be the venue for a wide variety of community activities and is fully equipped with computers and IT equipment. IT classes for beginners have already been organised and further details of all RSWCRA's activities can be found on this website.
The photograph shows Eric Black, Secretary and Treasurer of Rhyl South West Central Residents' Association, receiving the commemorative Royal Crystal Glass from the Lord Lieutenant, on behalf of the Volunteers. This will now be put on display in the new centre.
Presentation of the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.
Bowling Club refurbishment
The refurbishment of the Bowling Club has been completed and the facility is now available for hire. Broadband is installed and is available for use by groups hiring the facility. If you would like to hold meetings or run courses at the Bowling Club, please contact us.
The refurbished Bowling Club at Rhyl Botanical Gardens.
The interior of the refurbished Bowling Club.
The interior of the refurbished Bowling Club.