The awards just keep coming for a keen Rotarian who was recently given a lifetime achievement award by Swanage Town Council, and has now been recognised by King Charles in his birthday honours.
David Pike was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the Swanage community in the birthday honours list published on Friday 13th June 2025.
David Pike (right) getting into the Swanage Christmas spirit with fellow Rotarian Helen Hardy (left) at the Rotary Christmas Market in December 2024
“There has been a bit of subterfuge going on!”
David was able to share the news at the Friends of Swanage Hospital afternoon tea on Saturday 14th June 2025 but rather than sitting back and enjoying the sunshine, in typical fashion he was helping his wife Mary with refreshments and emptying the bins!
Taking a short break, David Pike told Swanage.News:
“It was an ordinary Thursday morning when a letter arrived telling me I had been nominated for an award from the King and would I like to accept? I think there has been a bit of subterfuge going on among my Rotary colleagues!
“I just thought, ‘Well that’s great – thank you’, but I do think there are more deserving people. It said not to tell anyone, however Mary saw the letter and seemed to know a bit more about it than me!”
David (left) receiving the Swanage Town Council’s lifetime achievement award from councillor Chris Moreton (right) in March 2025
Many years of dedicated volunteering
David is to receive the BEM for services to the Swanage community and he has certainly put in many years of dedicated volunteering since first moving to Swanage as a child.
Not only has he been a mainstay of the Swanage and Purbeck Rotary over the last 35 years, helping with numerous summer and Christmas fairs plus plenty of other fundraising events in between, but he has also spent more than 15 years assisting backstage with Swanage musical theatre and drama productions.
He has also been involved with the Swanage Sailing Club and the Harman’s Cross fete over the years.
Mary and David Pike at the Friends of Swanage Hospital afternoon tea
Opened the Picnic Bar in Station Road in the 70s
Born in 1942 in Birmingham, David moved to Swanage with his parents in 1946 at the end of World War Two.
He was sent to Shaftesbury School as a boarder while his parents worked hard, running the Dorothy Bakery in Station Road, in the shop which is now the Salt Pig Too cafe.
David said:
“After leaving school I went to catering college at Portsmouth where I met the love of my life, Mary. We worked together for many years for the catering and hotels group Trusthouse Forte, before we came back to Swanage in 1976 and brought up our two children Andy and Susie.
“We opened a take away food shop called the Picnic Bar, next door to my parents’ bakery. Eventually we ended up running the bakery as well, until Williams of Wool made us an offer and we retired in 1999.”
Since then David has not slowed down, throwing himself more into volunteering.
David added:
“I find it difficult to say ‘no’! I do it because I enjoy doing things and helping people. It’s good to get things done – if only there were more hours in the day!”
Not only has David been a Rotary member for more than 35 years, he has also received the top Rotary honour of the Paul Harris Fellowship
Further information
- More about volunteering with Swanage and Purbeck Rotary
