BBCHasan Bajbouj, 23, has taken on volunteering work, including translating, since he came to Shrewsbury with his mother in 2017.
She had been shot in her leg and Mr Bajbouj first lived in Jordan for four years after leaving Syria.
He said the award was “something I’m really proud of” and he felt “really good”.
Mr Bajbouj described Syria as “like a nightmare”, adding he wanted to go to the safest country and Jordan was the only option.
He added: “We were scared [in Syria], especially me, I was a kid.
“When I start [to] remember the past, all the memories, it was like I start to feel pain in my heart.
“I’m a survivor… I’m living my new life, so just like think about [my] new life, forget the past, but it’s quite difficult.”
Mr Bajbouj, who at the age of 14 worked to support his family, said he had felt welcomed in Shropshire, but there had been some racist incidents since moving to the UK.
In one, after a friend and himself were speaking Arabic, somebody started “to be physical” and there was an “exchange” of punches.
Mr Bajbouj said he fought in self defence and police released him after being questioned.
He has now been recognised in the mayor of Shrewsbury awards in the community category.
At a Shropshire refugee hub, the volunteer is “involved in everything”.
He added: “[People] find it quite difficult to get an interpreter like at night times if they want to go [to] hospital.”
‘New life’
Asked why he volunteered, the refugee said at first because of his Muslim faith.
“It taught me to help others, but also it makes me really happy to see people, helping people. I am like a social guy.”
Mr Bajbouj remembered that in the first few days in Shropshire he was “like a bit scared, because of the English, the barrier”.
He added: “I wasn’t going out, because I don’t know how to speak to the people.
“Where I used to live I had lots of friends and lots of relatives back in the country. But now as everything’s changed, I [had] to start a new life.”
