Princetown resident wins National Park UK Volunteer Award

Princetown resident, Derek Collins, a volunteer for the Dartmoor Preservation Association (DPA), recently won the individual category of the National Parks UK Volunteer Awards for his tireless work across Dartmoor National Park. He was thrilled to receive his award from wildlife presenter and adventurer, Steve Backshall, at a presentation ceremony in Kendal.

Derek was nominated by DPA director, Phil Hutt and vice president, Val Barns; Phil Hutt, said: “This recognition is richly deserved. Derek’s dedication, enthusiasm and leadership have made a massive contribution to the DPA and its mission of helping to protect and conserve Dartmoor.”

Derek has volunteered with the DPA since 2004, and in that time he has attended nearly every conservation work party – around 50 per year, turning his hand to everything from bracken management to clearing water leats, while also taking on the responsibility of keeping all the DPA’s tools and equipment in top condition. He has even created his own safety devices for each tool to prevent accidents when they are being carried to a place of work. He is also a trustee of the DPA and voluntary warden of its hay meadows at Pudsham Down near Widecombe-in-the-Moor. As well as working on Dartmoor, he is just at home manning the DPA stand at Dartmoor shows, encouraging new members to join and explaining how volunteering benefits the community.

Derek still remembers the first time he took out a group of young carers on an outreach project for the DPA - their reactions as they relaxed and started enjoying the outdoors, made the experience incredibly worthwhile. Enabling people to enjoy Dartmoor as much as he does has remained a huge motivation for the time he spends volunteering and although he is now eighty years of age, he has no intention of giving up yet.