Record number of organisations awarded 2019 Queen’s Awards
Melanie May | 6 June 2019 | News
A total of 281 organisations from across the UK have received a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service this year, with nominations for the 2020 awards now open.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK and recognises exceptional service within their communities.
This year’s awards received a record number of nominations with the recipients announced, as they are each year, on 2 June – the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.
Recipients of the award ranged from the Rural Coffee Caravan Information project in Suffolk, which combats rural isolation by providing a mobile community cafe and information centre, to Calum’s Cabin in Rothesay, which provides a holiday retreat on the Isle of Bute for children suffering from cancer and their families.
Any volunteer-led group comprising two or more people that are making a positive impact on the lives of other people in an exceptional way can be nominated for an award.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Independent Committee Chair Sir Martyn Lewis, said:
“The record number of nominations for this year’s Queen’s Awards for Voluntary Service proves that volunteering at a grassroots level continues to thrive. This year it is a real pleasure to congratulate 281 winners – all with strong reputations for successfully tackling a wide variety of issues and problems in their communities. They are powerful examples of real democracy in action.
“We know there are thousands more local organisations doing great work, and I would strongly encourage those people who have seen them in action or benefitted from their activities to consider nominating them for next year’s awards. They are the highest our country can bestow on groups of volunteers.”
Minister for Civil Society and Sport Mims Davies said:
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“Volunteers make an incredible difference to so many people’s lives and their communities. These prestigious awards recognise the wonderful work being done by many voluntary organisations across the country. I’d like to offer my sincere congratulations to all the worthy winners for their continued hard work and dedication.”
Nominations for the 2020 awards close on 13 September 2019.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.