VOLUNTEERS of a new aviation museum in South Gloucestershire have been honoured with a prestigious royal award for UK volunteer groups.

Around 150 volunteers from Aerospace Bristol, the new home in Filton for the last Concorde ever to fly, have been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

As “the MBE for volunteer groups”, the illustrious award was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation, setting the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering and recognises groups whose outstanding work has significantly benefited their local community.

The group have made a contribution of their time, hard work and experience, worth more than £1million, which will go on display when the attraction opens in late summer.

Volunteer projects include; adapting a mock-up of an Airbus A320 flight deck for use as a static flight simulator for visitors to use, restoring the front section of a Bristol Britannia prototype that was forced to land on the mud flats of the River Severn during a 1954 test flight, and spending more than two years working on the aircraft section, including electrical and lighting upgrades.

The volunteers will formally receive the prestigious Award in the form of a certificate signed by The Queen and a commemorative crystal.

One member of the volunteer team, former Concorde chief engineer John Britton, will also have the honour of representing his colleagues at a royal garden party.

Mr Britton said: “Every member of our volunteer team is hugely proud to have been a part of this wonderful group and absolutely thrilled to have received royal recognition for our work.

“And, of course, while our work is very much a team effort, it is a huge personal privilege to represent my fellow volunteers at Buckingham Palace.”

Chairman of Aerospace Bristol, Iain Gray CBE, added: “This truly is an incredible achievement and I couldn’t be more proud of our fantastic team of volunteers.

“I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has so generously given their time, knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm to Aerospace Bristol.

“They have helped to create a nationally-significant new museum that will inspire the next generation of engineers and I am delighted to congratulate our hard working volunteers for this well-deserved recognition of their outstanding work.”