MILFORD HAVEN: Mum who turned tragedy into hope receives top royal honour for mental health foundation

A Pembrokeshire mother whose response to devastating personal loss has helped transform the lives of young people across the region has been honoured with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service — an accolade equivalent to an MBE and the highest honour a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

Megan’s Starr Foundation, based in Milford Haven, received the award for its work supporting young people facing mental health challenges across Pembrokeshire. The foundation was set up by Nicola Harteveld following the death of her daughter Megan in 2017, and has spent nearly a decade building a community of care and support for some of the most vulnerable young people in the area.

The award was presented at the Dizzy Bear Café on Milford Haven Waterfront on Monday, March 30, by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed, Miss Sara Edwards, who joined Nicola, her family and Megan’s Starr volunteers for the ceremony. The opening address was given by Deputy Lieutenant Dr Chris Martin OBE DL, with the High Sheriff of Dyfed, Mr Andrew Phillips, and Lord Lieutenant Cadet Aeron James also in attendance.

Nicola said the honour belonged not just to the foundation but to Megan herself. “We are incredibly proud to share that Megan’s Starr Foundation has been honoured with The King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2025,” she said.

Nicola Harteveld, founder of Megan’s Starr Foundation:

“This prestigious national honour reflects the dedication, compassion, and tireless commitment of our incredible volunteers, who give their time and energy to support young people through some of life’s toughest challenges.

“And most of all, it belongs to Megan, whose beauty, kindness, and love lives on in everything we do.”

For 2025, Megan’s Starr was one of just five organisations across the whole of Wales to receive the award — an extraordinary achievement that underlines the scale and quality of the work being done in Milford Haven.

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service was created in 2002 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee, previously known as the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Unlike many honours, the award is given for life — meaning Megan’s Starr Foundation will carry this recognition permanently.

Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed, Miss Sara Edwards:

“It was a pleasure to present the King’s Award for Voluntary Service to a truly deserving group of volunteers. The work Nicola and the Megan’s Starr Foundation does has an important impact on the area’s young people and they should be extremely proud.”

Nicola is well known in Milford Haven as a community figure — she also serves as a Milford Haven Town Councillor — and her commitment to the welfare of young people in the area extends well beyond the foundation’s formal activities.

The foundation’s work focuses specifically on mental health support and education for young people, helping them build resilience, confidence and understanding in an area where specialist services can be harder to access than in larger urban centres.

The King’s Award presentation marks a landmark moment for a charity that has been built, year by year, on the dedication of unpaid volunteers who give their time out of commitment to their community and to Megan’s memory.

If you are struggling with your mental health, the Samaritans are available 24 hours a day on 116 123, free of charge.

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Local volunteer groups in Briton Ferry and Glyncorrwg honoured with King’s Award

Friends of Jersey Park in Briton Ferry and Noddfa Community Centre in Glyncorrwg are among just five Welsh recipients this year, standing alongside 231 groups across the UK. The award celebrates the impact of volunteers who give their time to strengthen communities, improve wellbeing and preserve local places.

Friends of Jersey Park, Briton Ferry

Jersey Park has long been a green heart of Briton Ferry, and the Friends group has worked tirelessly to keep it that way. Volunteers organise events, raise funds, and involve residents in improving the park’s environment. Their efforts promote health and wellbeing through open‑air activities, while also building a stronger sense of community.

The recognition has been warmly welcomed locally. Trustee Gareth Rice said:

“As a trustee of The Friends of Jersey Park, I am incredibly proud to share this news. Our volunteer group has been honoured with an award from His Majesty King Charles III — one of only 231 awards across the entire United Kingdom in 2025.

“This distinction is equivalent to an MBE, placing our local volunteers among the nation’s most outstanding community champions. It is proof that when a community comes together, it can achieve something truly remarkable.”

Fellow Trustee, John Beck added:

“The Friends of Jersey Park are honoured to receive this award from King Charles. Some 231 awards were made across the whole of the United Kingdom for 2025. This award is equivalent to an MBE, and we are very proud to receive it.”

Noddfa Community Centre, Glyncorrwg

Noddfa has been serving Glyncorrwg since 1976, run day‑to‑day by a volunteer executive committee. The centre is a hub for social wellbeing, offering room hire for community activities, a nursery school, and even a community church. It hosts initiatives like Codi’r To, a regeneration project through music, and provides space for programmes such as Gwaith Gwynedd, which helps people into work.

Volunteers at Noddfa Community Centre said the award was a proud moment for the whole community:

“We’re absolutely thrilled to share some amazing news! Noddfa Community Centre has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service — the highest honour a local voluntary group can receive in the UK, and the equivalent of an MBE.

“This incredible recognition celebrates the outstanding dedication, compassion, and hard work of our volunteers who give their time, energy, and hearts to support our community.

“We want to say a huge thank you to every single one of our volunteers — you make everything we do possible. And a special thank you to Jennifer Morris who nominated us for this prestigious award — your support means the world to us! We’re so proud to be part of such a caring and committed community.”

National recognition

Minister for Civil Society Stephanie Peacock said the awards highlight the extraordinary contribution of volunteers:

“These awards celebrate the extraordinary volunteers who are the lifeblood of communities across Wales. Day in, day out, they give their time, energy and compassion to transform lives and strengthen the places we call home.”

KAVS Chair Sir Martyn Lewis CBE added:

“The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is the UK’s top award for groups of remarkable citizens transforming many aspects of life in their local communities. For over two decades these annual awards have shown the people of our country at their very best.”

Looking ahead

Nominations for the 2026 King’s Award for Voluntary Service are now open, with applications closing on 1 December 2025. Any group of three or more volunteers, active for at least three years, can be put forward.

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