Man wins national award for metal detecting skills

Darren Wiles lives with his wife Amanda and twins, Holly and Harrison, along with two other stepchildren.

From items as small as rings to necklaces, Darren has helped more than 200 people across Dorset in the past three years through his metal detector hobby.

He has become extremely well known by Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch residents.

Alongside his full-time job as a software salesman, Darren and his two friends, Aaron Le Arn and John Rodwell, founded the free Bournemouth Metal Detecting Service that aims to find items across Dorset.

Speaking on an emotional find in his detecting career, Darren said: “A young lad, Jordan Jenkins was practicing for the Bournemouth cheerleader festival at the BIC, and he was wearing a ring with a pendant around his neck.

“And the pendant was a present from his partner, the ring contained the ashes of his younger brother, who had died a year earlier after saving two girls from drowning.

“I was called by the Marsham Court Hotel around about 10pm to say that there's a guest who's in distress and despair.

“His brother died seven years ago, and he was only 12 when he died, so there's no way I wasn’t going to try and get that ring back for him.

“I went down there without question and I found the ring after about five to 10 minutes.

“Once found, I showed Jordan the ring and he went at it and he looked at me and there were literally no words needed between us.

“He was speechless and just gave me a massive hug.

“I still get goose bumps when I say that story.

“That's why I do it and that's why it's free, because I'm not going to start asking for money, I really enjoy it and love seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they’re reunited with something special.

Darren also offered advice to aspiring detectors, he added: “With metal detecting, you can't just go down there and spend 20 minutes, You have to have a lot of patience.

"You also get lost in it all as well, so you just get your head down, concentrate, and just get on with it.

"It's been getting busier and busier each time, it's all a bit crazy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way."

The metal detector also took home a national award from neighbourhood website, Nextdoor.

According to Nextdoor: "This award celebrates incredible acts of selflessness and support that change people’s lives for the better, and our inaugural winner has been doing precisely that."

Speaking on the recognition, Darren said: “I’m totally blown away, speechless, gobsmacked and all other related words.

“I found out recently, and completely out of the blue, that I was nominated for the Community Hero of the Year award on Nextdoor, and that this was a UK-wide award and won.

"Totally bonkers.

“I was nominated by Joyce Monteith, amongst others, thank you so much Joyce for your lovely nomination, and all those who nominated me, I’m overwhelmed by it.”

"It's a joy to help people and it can be really emotional.

"Some people end up crying with happiness over something you’ve found for them, making people so happy is the best feeling and that is why I do it."

Speaking on the inspiration for his hobby, Darren added: “I've always liked the history side of metal detecting especially on the Dorset coast and then came back from holiday once and I just was chatting to this guy on Charmouth beach who was detecting.

“And then that Christmas in 2009, I got a detector, went on the beach, and started using it.

“Then I set up the Bournemouth Detecting Club in 2011.

“I started getting the odd trickle of people asking for stuff because I'd helped one person on the beach years and years ago and I thought nothing of it at the time.

“Then all of a sudden I started getting contacts coming through and then obviously started posting on Facebook and joined more community groups. And from there, it's just completely taken off.

“I could choose to work full time as a metal detectorist but because it's not paid and not a very good business plan, unfortunately.

"I’m almost out every day, my wife and my family have been very supportive.

"I’m going to carry on doing this for as long as I can, I am enjoying it and I’m helping people so it’s a win-win."

Joyce Monteith, who nominated Darren for the award, said: “We have the best neighbour anyone could ever have and so many have called him their hero.

“Darren has helped so many people over the years and has reduced many people to tears.

“They are happy tears because they are delighted to get back what they have lost. Using his metal detector, when called he will travel anywhere to help those who have lost a ring, an earring a necklace, or a bracelet.

“Sometimes he is far away from home and spends hours looking and doesn’t give up until he’s found it.”

Darren also shares lost items that haven’t been claimed on social media that he’s found through his hobby in hopes of reuniting them with their owner.

One bizarre request for Darren was to find a posh kitchen knife that had been lost for over a month.

Fortunately, this was found and reunited with the owner.