Points of Light Award to Room to Reward founder
Howard Lake | 11 September 2017 | News
Prime Minister Theresa May has awarded a Point of Light award to Nicolas Roach, founder of Room to Reward, for his charity’s work rewarding ‘hidden heroes’ with hotel trips.
The charity rewards unsung volunteers and charity workers (‘hidden heroes’) with free stays in hotels, working with a network of hospitality partners.
It has already recognised 110 hidden heroes from over 70 charities. These include a volunteer who has dedicated 27 years to his local lifeboat and a volunteer who has provided over 5,000 free meals to children in the school holidays.
Advertisement
Room to Reward accepts nominations from charities to recognise individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to their cause.
Points of Light awards
Roach and his charity are the 741st recipients of the Points of Light award, which recognises outstanding individual volunteers and people who are making a change in their community and inspiring others. An award is made every day to someone somewhere in the country.
Prime Minister Theresa May wrote to Roach, saying: “Through ‘Room to Reward’, you are also recognising the unsung volunteers across the UK who are making exceptional commitments to charities. Your innovative idea is helping to reward their hard work, while providing them with fond memories they will treasure for years to come.”
Roach says that he is receiving the award “on behalf of all of the team at Room to Reward”.
He added: “Room to Reward is the hospitality industry responding by joining hands in a coordinated way and providing breaks to those who most deserve it. We are recognising those individuals who give so much when caring for others but often go unnoticed.”
He thanked all the hotel partners “who are supporting the mission of turning an unsold room into something of huge value to our society.”
Nominate for a Point of Light
If you know someone who deserves to be awarded a Point of Light you can recommend them to the Prime Minister via Points of Light.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.