A senior UCLan academic has received two Queen’s awards after volunteering as an emergency service worker.

UCLan’s Dr Tim Sanders, a senior clinical lecturer in rural medicine, received the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award, and the Mountain Rescue organisation he volunteers with landed The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

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The award acts as a token of thanks, honouring the valuable contributions of hundreds of people who work as paid or voluntary members of public services, including the Armed Forces, emergency services and prison services.

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The 44-year-old said: “It is lovely to have my voluntary service recognised in such a public way and as part of such an important celebration.

“I’m proud of the recognition given through these awards. However, the dedication of the whole team makes us effective.

“Many team members were 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.”

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The GP also works in Eden Valley, Westmoreland, and 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, recognising the exceptional, life-changing work they do in local communities.

The father-of-three has been involved in voluntary work since 2005.

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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.”

Among his other achievements, Tim received the Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), the highest level of membership, for his contribution to general practice education.

On behalf of the RCGP, Tim provided 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, expected to be published in March 2023.

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