A TIRELESS fundraiser and organiser of trips for mostly over 60s has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the New Year’s honours.

Carol Swiecicka, who has been running the Newton Abbot Travel Club for around 15 years, said: ‘I was very surprised when I received the notification and thought is this really for me?’

The membership is made up mostly of the over 60s and club outings range from day trips to, theatre, boat, heritage railways etc to away breaks at events, gardens, National Trust etc these being mostly in this country but occasionally to Belgium or Holland for special events, big garden parades or to see Andre Rieu in Maastricht.

‘We have a very good and loyal group of people working with us in the travel group and it is for them as well,’ said Carol, aged 69.

The club raises funds for local charities and although in 2020 only five breaks took place before Covid, through the generosity of members donations the club still managed to donate £2,795 to charities,

‘People have been brilliant even when we’ve had to cancel trips and said keep some of our deposit to help local charities.’

Among the charities helped has been the Shelterbox charity, based in Cornwall. Carol said she was fascinated when she paid the charity’s headquarters in Truro and learnt more about how they distribute lifesaving boxes of supplies to disaster struck regions of the world.

As well as fundraising and organising trips, Carol has been keeping up the morale of club members and friends.

‘I promised at the start of the first lockdown that each day I’d send group members a quiz question or fun message to cheer them up – but I didn’t expect to still be doing that a year on!’

‘Until the covid situation is resolved in some way although we miss our companionship we aren’t able to plan future trips but are longing for the time we can meet again,’ said Carol.

In 2019 Carol was invited to the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace for her work in the community.

In 2020 the club donated: £800 to Rowcroft Hospice; £250 to Devon Freewheelers (Blood Bikers); £250 to the RNLI (Teignmouth branch); £250 to Newton Abbot Hospital League of Friends; £250 to Macmzillian Nurses (Devon); £250 to Animals in Distress Ipplepen; £250 to South Dartmoor Search and Rescue; £150 to Children’s Hospice South West; £100 to CLIC (Devon); £100 to St John’s Ambulance (Devon); £100 to Devon Air Ambulance; £25 to South Devon Hedgehog Hospital; £20 to King’s Care Kingsteignton.

Friend and fellow travel club member Joy Ashton nominated Carol for the award and said she had been making the case for her for the past four years.

‘Carol thoroughly deserves the BEM, she is always going out of her way to help everyone else.

‘I am so pleased for her,’ added Joy.