Published Wednesday 28 April 2021 at 12:08
Do you know a voluntary group that deserves recognition for the work it does? Why not consider nominating it for a national award?
Terry Hephrun, Chair of the Lancashire Panel for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) said:
In 2002, in celebration of Her Majesty’s Golden Jubilee, The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for Voluntary Service by Groups in the Community was established. Its purpose is to recognise exceptional groups of individuals who are giving their time freely for the benefit of others and are making a real difference in the communities they serve. It is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon groups of this kind and is equivalent in status to the MBE.
As such, The Queen’s Award not only serves to provide recognition of volunteer groups, but also demonstrates the high respect in which volunteering is held. We all know the value of voluntary effort to support communities not least in the difficult circumstances we are continuing to face in 2021.
Groups must be nominated for the Award – self nomination is not permitted. A group (three or more people) can be nominated if it is based in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The group has to have been volunteering for the benefit of people in the UK or overseas for at least three years and more than half its members must be volunteers who have the right of residence in the UK. It must provide a specific local benefit and Groups solely concerned with fundraising for charitable purposes or operating solely for the benefit of animals are not eligible.
The Award is overseen by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). As part of the Cabinet Office, DCMS works across government departments to provide support to voluntary and community organisations.
Further details on entrance criteria and the nomination process (which is a fairly straightforward online system) are available from: https://qavs.culture.gov.uk/
Nominations for the 2022 awards can be made from 1 April and the closing date is 15 September.