An organisation that transforms neglected woodlands into spaces for people living with life-limiting illnesses has been honoured for its work.
The Eden-Rose Coppice Trust in Sudbury received the prestigious King's Award for Voluntary Services on the last official engagement of the current Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, Lady Clare Fitzroy, Countess of Euston.
Trust volunteers work to create therapeutic woodland environments for people living with life-limiting conditions typically cancer and mental health.
The charity was set up in 2002 to mark the Golden Jubilee and has over the last two decades restored Brickmakers Wood in Ipswich, the Eden Rose Coppice in Sudbury and Armes Wood in Great Cornard.
Lady Clare praised the work of an "exceptional" voluntary organisation whose work "brings comfort, strength, and belonging to people at some of the most difficult moments in life".
She told those in attendance how the organisation had supported a man found in its Sudbury woodland in a low and isolated state.
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The trust guided him to support leading him to to take part in conservation work and his wellbeing improving.
Lady Clare said: "What distinguishes this Trust is not only what it provides, but who makes it possible. Many of those who serve are also those being supported. Around 400 of their 500 volunteers are beneficiaries themselves—people living with profound uncertainty and, in some cases, very limited life expectancy. And yet, through steadfast service to one another, they create confidence, connection, and purpose.
"Above all, Eden Rose Coppice Trust demonstrates the quiet power of voluntary service: people carrying burdens of their own, choosing—again and again—to build something that will outlast them. "
The trust runs nature-based activities, therapeutic support and community engagement across three woodland sites in Suffolk, looked after by its volunteers.
Trust director Rob Brooks said: “We are immensely proud and humbled to receive this award. This recognition is a tribute to the hard work, compassion, and dedication of our volunteers, who make such a difference to the lives of those we support. This day is for them.”
Fellow managers Fran Moore, Graham Lucas and Jo Brooks added its success is entirely due to the “commitment and generosity” of its volunteers.
Adrian Stohr, deputy mayor of Sudbury, said many of the stories shared by volunteers and supporters was "nothing short of humbling".
He said: "Many shared how their own personal challenges including cancer diagnoses and the early stages of dementia had led them to this remarkable charity.
"Rather than being defined by those struggles, they have found strength, purpose, and community through their involvement.
"The Eden-Rose Coppice Trust is far more than a woodland it is a sanctuary built on compassion, resilience, and a shared love of the outdoors.
"It provides a space where people can momentarily set aside the weight of illness, reconnect with nature, and support one another in the most meaningful ways. It is, without question, a hidden gem within our community."
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