A FOOTBALL club which has taken kids off the street and given them a real kick start in life has been awarded the equivalent of an MBE in the Queens Award for Voluntary Service.

Thornwell Football Club's lifetime award was announced in the London Gazette on June 2 (as is tradition) and it is one of only two in the whole of Wales.

Steve Parker, the chairman – originally from Battersea in London but a born-again Welshman – revealed the award announcement to club members at the Two Brewers, Thornwell Road.

He said: "I was speechless when I read the letter from the Queen's office. I couldn't believe that we had received such an honour. Now we'll have to arrange a day for the Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire to come and present the award and certificate. We'll be using Her Majesty's logo from now on!"

The club was nominated by town councillor, Marian Lewis who said: "I am proud to have been able to nominate you for this. – and trust me – if you hadn't been there doing a fantastic job, I couldn't have put your name forward! The club has been in existence for 20 years, and this award is well-deserved. It's a perfect example of a group, seeing a problem or opportunity, rolling up its sleeves and doing something about it."

Thornwell Football Club is not just about footie, it reaches out to the wider community, fund-raising for charity, organising great family fun days in the summer, supporting other local organisations, and now, with the Thornwell Pavilion at Tenby Lane almost completed offering a local facility for many other groups to use.

•Thornwell Football Club's Fun Day this year is on July 23.