Double delight for Bedford's John Bunyan Community Boat volunteers receive Royal recognition

It wasn't just the Platinum Jubilee that was cause for celebration for one Bedford Charity - but it did involve Royal recognition.

Volunteers at the John Bunyan Community Boat have been given the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

The group, which has been running for nine years and provides cruises along the River Great Ouse in the town., revealed their new award at the appropriately named Sovereigns Quay earlier today.

The group, which runs around 150 cruises each year, said they were doubly delighted to get it during the Platinum jubilee celebrations.

Mike Gilham, one of the volunteers, described the award as the icing on the cake:

"We've known for sometime this might happen but we didn't get confirmation until just recently and to get it during the Queen's Jubilee weekend, how do you surpass that? It's recognition coming at an event that will probably never happen again, so we're all so pleased we really, really are."

Those thoughts were echoed by outgoing chair, Sue Gillibrand.

"This year is particularly special, but I just think that for the volunteers that they have worked here, the money that has been raised for the charity  it's incredibly special.

"We've done so many different trips, just recently we did one for the people from the Ukraine and  we're trying to get more community groups, we have schools, we have so many different trips and it hits so many different people within the community."

Since the group launched in 2013, around 60,000 passengers have enjoyed one of the cruises.

Any profits are given to the Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust as funding towards an eventual Waterway Park between Milton Keynes (Grand Union Canal) and Bedford (River Great Ouse) and canal link.