Delighted, honoured and joyously surprised to have been awarded a QAVS or Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services particularly in this year, the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty’s reign, for our small but punchy Stroud District Action on Plastic group started in 2018 only 4 years ago in a Cotswolds kitchen. A huge mark of respect for the hard work put in by all the volunteers at what is now known as Action on Plastic and especially to my co-founding colleagues Claudi and Chloe who have inspired so many hundreds, if not thousands, of people across Gloucestershire (and hopefully beyond) through talks, workshops and demonstrations to take action on plastic by reducing single-use wherever possible, trialling alternative ways of using materials, suggesting more local plastic-free shopping options (including Stroudco), making one’s own solutions rather than buying pre-made plastic-wrapped ones and using up spare or surplus materials and containers as refills rather than going out to buy new ones. There is still so much to be done, but at least this is recognition at its very highest level in the UK and that is certainly to be celebrated.