Royal seal of approval for Staffordshire volunteers

Douglas MacMillan Hospice Volunteers, Katherine House Hospice Volunteers, Landywood and District Volunteer Help Centre, SCALE and the Volunteers of the National Memorial Arboretum, all from Staffordshire have been announced as 5 of 103 UK volunteering groups to win this year’s The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups.

The prestigious National Honour recognises outstanding contributions made to local communities by groups voluntarily devoting their time for the benefit of others.  It sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering, with the work of those awarded being judged of the highest standard.
 

Winners of this year’s Award were selected from 341 groups nominated by members of the public who have been helped personally or witnessed the benefits of a group’s work in their community.
 

The Staffordshire volunteers will receive a certificate signed by Her Majesty The Queen and an exclusive commemorative crystal, presented by Her Majesty's representative in Staffordshire Lord-Lieutenant Mr. James Hawley at a special ceremony arranged by the Lieutenancy office.

Each group has also received an invitation for representatives to attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in the summer.
 

Lord-Lieutenant Mr Hawley said, “I am delighted that 5 Queens Awards for Voluntary Service have been awarded to groups in Staffordshire this year and congratulate the winners.  It reflects the wonderful voluntary work done by so many in all parts of this county.”
 
Thirteen groups from Staffordshire have now won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, over the eight years since it was created by Her Majesty to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002.
 

For details of all this year’s Award winners and information on how to nominate a group, visit www.direct.gov.uk/thequeensawardforvoluntaryservice, where a nomination form can be downloaded.
 

You can also obtain further information on the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services via the Staffordshire Lieutenancy website:-
http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/yourcouncil/civicoffices/lieutenancy/awards/voluntary/