A Petersfield group which has given a helping hand to countless youngsters has received an early birthday present.

All eyes were on the Kings Arms last Thursday as the much-loved charity received one of the town’s biggest accolades from The Petersfield Society, writes Marcus Fairweather.

The Dragon Street hub was presented with The Owl Award during the Society’s AGM at the United Reformed Church on College Street.

The award is handed out every year by the PS to projects which have made a significant contribution to the town and its surrounding area.

Previous recipients have included the skatepark extension, the Steep Parish Plan, the 6A Vision development at Clarendon Close and the Art & Design building at Bedales.

This year is a big one for the Kings Arms Youth Project as the charity, which also has a branch in Alton, is 25 years old next month. It has helped countless youngsters and teens to realise their potential and become more confident and more involved members of the community.

Petersfield Centre Manager, Larisa Mendresse-Elder, accepted the award on behalf of the charity to a richly-deserved round of applause.

She said: “Our aim is to support young people and give them a home from home.

“And it’s so wonderful that the Petersfield community is so supportive of the work we do.”

There was also an accolade for another town institution which recently celebrated a milestone as the group’s 2025 Commendation was “deservedly awarded” to the Petersfield Physic Garden.

The group called the volunteer-run garden a “unique feature in the centre of town” and an “oasis of greenery that changes with the seasons and offers tranquillity.”

The AGM began with a summary of the society’s recent activities and a financial overview before John Allen and Faye Hughes were formally elected as trustees.

The Owl Award was presented before a topical ‘Symbols That Unite Us’ talk about flags by Retd Captain Malcolm Farrow OBE.

The guest speaker served in The Falklands during a long and distinguished naval career before retiring and becoming president of the Flag Institute.

The topic was a highly personal with Capt Farrow stressing the unique character of local flags and the important role they play in giving people a sense of individual identity and purpose.

There was also a focus on Petersfield’s own town flag, thought to be the first of its kind when adopted in late 2008.

“The Petersfield flag identifies the place I belong to,” said Capt Farrow, who has lived in the area for 30 years.

“But flags are symbols that represent the people and it’s incumbent on all people to treat them with respect.”

His words resonated with Cllr Chris Paige as the town mayor was a members of the armed forces for 11 years and retains strong links with the Royal British Legion.

He said: “When I was in the army and I came back home from overseas to see the flags in airports and on buildings, I thought, there is where I belong.”

With additional reporting by Paul Ferguson.