A TRUSTEE at Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR) is celebrating after being named the top young volunteer in the UK heritage railway movement.

Oliver Edwards picked up the Lord Faulkner Young Volunteer of the Year accolade at the annual Heritage Railway Association (HRA) Awards.

The 21-year-old triumphed from a three-strong shortlist which also included young members of the Severn Valley Railway and Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust.

Oliver, known as Olly, thanked his colleagues for their help and support which he believes has helped him to win the award.

“I’m blown away to have won the award,” Olly said. “Thank you so much to my brilliant colleagues for everything they have done to support me in the two years I’ve been at the W&L - bring on much more to come.

“I believe wholeheartedly in the ability of our movement to change lives if we work hard enough to get there. Heartfelt congratulations to the other two nominees too for being shortlisted.”

Olly joined the railway in 2019 and his achievements in the short time since include leading a major piece of market research, helping to raise more than £140,000 as part of the W&LLR’s 2020 appeal made necessary by the Covid pandemic.

He has also helped to increase the railway’s social media presence by more than 25 per cent.

Olly also found time to write a book about the line to raise further funds, and was elected to the railway’s board of trustees where he now takes the volunteer role of marketing and product manager.

W&LLR chairman, Steve Clews, thanked Olly for his ‘significant contribution’ in recent years.

He added: “We were delighted when he was elected to the board of trustees and more recently appointed product and marketing manager.”

The W&LLR’s members’ newsletter The Earl was also highly commended in the HRA Awards.