Cheshire Wildlife Trust Volunteer of the Year Award for Stephen Ross, Chairman of Wirral Wildlife

Stephen (centre) being presented with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust Volunteer of the Year award by Charlotte Harris (CEO of CWT) and Bill Stothart (outgoing chair of the Trustees of CWT)

Cheshire Wildlife Trust has grown over 60 years from a small, volunteer-driven interest group into a professional, ambitious regional organisation. They are the region’s largest conservation charity, supporting and conserving wildlife and the natural environment throughout Cheshire and Wirral. They rely on a large group of dedicated volunteers to help bring wildlife back and build deeper connections between people and nature

The Volunteer of the Year Award is the highest accolade for volunteering given by Cheshire Wildlife Trust. The award is given in memory of, and inspired by, the contribution of Eric Thurston, a long-standing volunteer for the mid-Cheshire group, who provided inspiration to many others over the years.

Winners are awarded a limited edition of a Roger Stephens print of peregrines circling above Beeston Castle.

This was presented to Stephen at the Cheshire Wildlife Trust AGM held at Ness Gardens on 8th November.

The award was given at the AGM of Cheshire Wildlife Trust held at Ness Gardens

Stephen, a life-long supporter of wildlife (with an especial interest in birds) and life member of Cheshire Wildlife Trust (CWT), has been Chair of Wirral Wildlife (the Wirral Group of the CWT) since 2004. During that time, he has guided the committee with a gentle but firm hand and been a brilliant facilitator for our activities. He is a great support to our outreach activities, always introducing the talks and other events which form our winter programme, and leading the discussions with which these close. He is also a willing volunteer at the various stalls and displays we put on at various events through the year. His interesting Annual Report always brings a global perspective to what we do.

Stephen with the apple press at an Apple Day event

He represents Wirral Wildlife on many occasions. For example, in July 2025 he chaired a one-day event organised by Jane Turner to ‘Celebrate Biodiversity and Sustainability in Hoylake and Meols’. He keeps us in informal contact with many other organisations in Wirral including The Heswall Society, Rotary, Heswall Hall Community Trust (we held our winter programme of talks and events at Heswall Hall for many years) and the Dee Estuary Conservation Group (where he was our representative for some time, becoming vice-chair and then chair for a while).

Stephen (left) at a tree planting in Brotherton Park for Cheshire Wildlife Trust's 60th anniversary

Stephen has also been very active within CWT. Soon after becoming Chair of Wirral Wildlife, he became a member of Council and a Trustee, bringing his expertise from his professional life to the Personnel Subcommittee of CWT and to the preparation of several reports relating to CWT activities.

For over two decades, Stephen has applied his enormous networking and facilitating skills to further the activities of Wirral Wildlife and its environment-related activities in Wirral. He is the best of chairs, never dominating but always giving Committee members the freedom to develop their roles in their own way and supporting their activities, often participating in them.

He is a worthy winner of this award.