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Ripon volunteer awarded British Empire Medal for community work

Thursday, 30 July 2026 14:30

Caroline Bentham (centre) with Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Jo-Ropner (left) and Hazel Barker.

A Ripon volunteer has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in recognition of her outstanding service to the community.

Caroline Bentham received the honour from the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Jo Ropner, for her tireless voluntary work across Ripon and beyond.

Caroline launched the environmentally-friendly Waste Not Wednesday initiative in 2022, transforming surplus supermarket food into nutritious, low-cost meals for local residents.

Operating from Community House on Allhallowgate, the scheme is supported by Ripon BID members Morrisons, M&S Food and Tesco.

Each Wednesday, families and individuals can choose from a range of freshly prepared savoury and sweet dishes, with each meal costing just 50p. Visitors can select up to eight food items between 12pm and 1:30pm.

Speaking to Tim Flanagan for the Rejoicing in Ripon Blog, Caroline said:

"I see the BEM as recognition of the work done by all members of the team and I also thank Morrisons, M&S Food and Tesco for donating the surplus food that we turn into meals."

She added:

"In addition to the supermarkets, we receive items donated to us by Ripon based allotment holders and this ensures that users of our service can enjoy meals that include fresh fruit and vegetables."

As well as leading Waste Not Wednesday, Caroline is assistant county commissioner for Girlguiding North Yorkshire West and is involved in a £500,000 fundraising campaign to rebuild the community activity centre at Birk Crag in Harrogate.

She also chairs the Friends of Spa Gardens, which organises Ripon's annual Winter Wonderland festival, and established a scrap metal fundraising initiative that has supported a number of community projects, including Ripon Men's Shed, where she was among the founding members.

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