We are delighted that thanks to all your votes Trevor Gunton won the lifetime achievement award at the St Neots Awards in October 2017. Huge congratulations to him from everyone at Paxton Pits – and many thanks for his support of the Friends and the Reserve. Click here to visit St Neots Awards and find out about all the winners.
Jim Stevenson, Senior Ranger at Paxton Pits, wrote about why Trevor deserved your votes and the award:
“Trevor Gunton has spent most of his working life promoting nature conservation, but even more of his time doing it in a voluntary capacity. His main achievements are listed below but can be summarised as getting people interested and then mobilising them to join in and do something. His ‘common-touch’ and his genuine enthusiasm for both people and wildlife warms people to him. He has changed peoples lives, including mine.”
“I first met Trevor in the 1970s when he brought the annual RSPB film show to Salisbury in Wiltshire where I was a young teacher. Because of him, I joined the RSPB and started a Young Ornithologists Club in my school. I started giving public talks like him and went on to work for the RSPB myself. My last job at RSPB was in their International Division where Trevor and I both worked on setting up and supporting nature conservation groups around the world (he worked in Southern Europe and I covered East Africa and then the UK Overseas Territories.) Nowadays, I’m the Senior Ranger at Paxton Pits and Trevor is my top volunteer.
“Trevor’s voluntary work obviously benefits wildlife, but it also benefits the people who get involved, and the local and national community that enjoys the fruits of our labours.”
“I need to make the point that, although he was paid to work for the RSPB, he never stopped being a volunteer as well. He started the RSPB members groups that now exist all over the country largely in his own time and I remember seeing him personally greet 1000 members at the door of the RSPB’s AGM. They all knew him. His voluntary work at Paxton started when he was in mid-career at the RSPB in the late 1980s.
“So that’s the history and the skills that Trevor has brought to bear on our little remote reserve in Little Paxton that is now nationally famous, largely because of him.
“His first proper job after National Service was as a sign writer and his particular style for posters, banners and leaflets was to be seen all over the RSPB and still is at Paxton Pits where he keeps up a noticeboard about events and membership.
“He is also our top can-shaker, collecting money for us and dreaming up ways to increase funding and membership.
“Trevor’s voluntary work obviously benefits wildlife, but it also benefits the people who get involved, and the local and national community that enjoys the fruits of our labours.”