Dr Tim Sanders receives two prestigious Queen’s awards for voluntary service
A senior University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) academic has received recognition through two prestigious awards from Her Royal Highness the Queen for his voluntary work.
Dr Tim Sanders, a Senior Clinical Lecturer in Rural Medicine, has received the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award. Alongside this, the Mountain Rescue organisation he volunteers with has been awarded The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.
The 44-year-old said: “It is really lovely to have my voluntary service recognised in such a public way, and particularly as part of such an important celebration.”
The GP, who also works in the Eden Valley, Westmoreland, was awarded The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee award for serving as an emergency service worker. The award acts as a token of thanks to honour the valuable contributions of hundreds of people who work as paid or voluntary members for public services, including the Armed Forces, emergency services and prison services.
Tim volunteers for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team, one of the Lake District teams that received the highly acclaimed Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021. It is the highest award given to 20 national volunteer groups in the UK, to recognise the exceptional, life-changing work they do in local communities.
"It is really lovely to have my voluntary service recognised in such a public way, and particularly as part of such an important celebration"
— Dr Tim Sanders
The father-of-three has been involved in voluntary work since 2005. He said: “I enjoy providing emergency assistance to people in their hour of need, particularly because I’m also a mountaineer and recognise our vulnerability to accidents in the mountains.
“I’m proud of the recognition given through these awards. However, it is the dedication of the whole team that makes us effective. Many team members have been involved in the service of their local mountain rescue teams for considerably more years than I have, and it is their dedication, enthusiasm and professionalism that I find so inspiring and motivating.”
Among his other achievements, Tim was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), which is the highest level of membership, for his contribution to general practice education.
On behalf of the RCGP, Tim also gave evidence on rural mental health at the 2022 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.
As a GP and rural medical expert, he is also co-editing the second edition of the ‘Rural Healthcare’ textbook, which is expected to be published in March 2023.
By Humayra Patel
