SGTG awarded the KAVS!

In the Kings birthday honours today, St Giles Theatre Group, Elgin were announced as recipients of The Kings Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS). Groups in the UK are awarded this for life. This year is the 3rd year of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.  There are 231 groups receiving the award in 2025.

Nominated by a parent, earlier this year the youth theatre group engaged with the Lord Lieutenant and his deputy as they made enquiries about what the volunteers do and the fantastic work that has kept this one of Moray's most vibrant youth charitable activities for over 35 years.

SGTG's first production

St Giles Theatre Group is a registered charity and is part of The Church of Scotland where it originated in 1988 as a Sunday activity - lead by the Ministers wife and local dance school owner, Ruth Rollo.  With a cast of young people aged 10-19, the first ever production was “Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat” in the St Giles Church in 1989 and has been followed for 37 years by 37 more musical theatre productions latterly at Elgin Town Hall.  The group has produced shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story, Les Misérables, and School of Rock. This year, the group has a 100 strong cast and continues the tradition of affordable, inclusive access to a high quality musical theatre experience with twice weekly rehearsals from September through to April each year, culminating in some of the most highly acclaimed amateur performances in the North East.

Emma during Bugsy Malone

This year the group rises to the challenge of the closure of Elgin Town Hall for refurbishment by, for the first time, producing an original show – The Greatest Show - a jukebox musical based around a fictional high school’s disused theatre written especially for the group by our Creative Director Emma Sharpe. Emma has been Creative Director of the group for the past 12 years, and credits her career and love for drama therapy as a result of the fond memories she received with the group when she herself was a cast member.

“St Giles Theatre Group has played such a huge part in shaping who I am over the past 35 years. It was more than just a youth theatre — it was a place where I discovered confidence, creativity, and a real sense of belonging. Through performing and being part of such a supportive community, I learned how powerful theatre can be in helping young people express themselves and grow. Those experiences had a lasting impact on me and inspired my decision to train as a Dramatherapist, so I could use the arts to support others in the same way. Working with young people has now become my career, and volunteering with St Giles feels like coming full circle — giving back to the place that first believed in me and helped me find my voice.” - Emma Sharpe

Current Chair of the group, Karen Wiles said -

“We see this as an award for everyone who has gone before us and we appreciate the roles many individuals have played from creation of the group in 1988, through 37 productions, laying the foundations for all that has followed.  It takes a huge effort to support our cast to achieve their potential and deliver outstanding performances.  Week to week, a core group of 25-30 volunteers ensure that the young people are safe, supported, challenged and stretched to reach their full potential whether by the creative team who are directing, choreographing, costuming and musically leading the young people or the welfare team chaperoning, encouraging and safeguarding the cast or the many many helpers in the background building set, painting backdrops, or making cups of tea, fundraising, keeping our socials lively and promoting our production.  By show week we will have around 70 people volunteering just to get the production on the stage - front of house, stage crew, hair and makeup, and a live orchestra.  It’s quite unbelievable the time, expertise, patience and commitment our volunteers give and this award is wonderful recognition.” - Karen Wiles

“Volunteering is challenging and time-consuming but incredibly rewarding and none of us do that for any more thanks than the confident beaming smiles of our cast on stage on show week.  That said, we are humbled and moved that our work has been recognised in this way.” - Karen Wiles

In the new year the group will work with the Lord Lieutenancy of Moray to arrange presentation of the award which will be an opportunity to celebrate all the people who have made St Giles Theatre Group successful over the years especially contacting  former helpers to bring together as many as possible to share the occasion.

We thank everyone past and present who has helped make this award possible.

To find out more about the King's Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS), visit their website