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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 groups of individuals who are giving their time freely for the benefit of others. 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.
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04/03/09 More than a quarter of the UK (28%) is taking time out to volunteer at least once a month according to the first annual ‘Volunteering Index’, a report uncovering the nation’s voluntary habits from the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the National Honour equivalent to the MBE for volunteer groups.
Newly appointed Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Main Award Committee Chair and former broadcast journalist Martyn Lewis CBE said:
“There are great rewards to be had from volunteering, whether personal achievement and the development of new skills or a deeper connection with your local community. The Volunteering Index goes on to highlight the belief that these tireless volunteers should be recognised and therefore rewarded publically"
The Index further reveals Richard Branson as the public figure believed to give most time to voluntary and charitable causes in the UK, followed by Prince Charles and Ian Botham.
The full press release can be found at http://www.queensawardvoluntary.gov.uk/pr12.html.
Further information on can be found at how you can nominate a local voluntary group
27/01/09 Volunteering is an important part of day-to-day life in the UK, and the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service helps recognise the outstanding contributions made by voluntary groups in all areas of the UK.
To ensure the volunteering community continues to receive the recognition it deserves at a national level, we have put together a short toolkit which you can download to help encourage nominations for the Queen’s Awards for Voluntary Service for voluntary groups in your area.
Our short toolkit comprises:
- Background information about the Award
- Guidance on how to nominate
- Who is eligible to win
- Case study examples of some of the groups that have already achieved the Award
We know there are volunteers in every local area making a real contribution to the local community and a positive difference to other people’s lives. We hope that the resource pack we have put together will help you to increase awareness of those that give up their time for the benefit of others in your community.
There is also a template press release [Word 181KB, 3 pages] for local authorities to use to promote the Award locally. If you would like further details please email QueensAward@consolidatedpr.com
27/01/09 Winners of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service are now able to purchase a miniature crystal to commemorate their group’s achievement.
30/10/08 We are now recruiting chairs and members for the two new Committees which will uphold the prestige of the Award and will play central roles in recommending groups to The Queen. Further information and an application form can be found at the recruitment page
11/10/08 – The Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office today announced the period for nominating groups for consideration for the 2009 Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service has now ended and that nominations received after today will be considered for the 2010 Award.
Nomination forms can be submitted at any time during the year, and The Office of the Third Sector is keen to receive new nominations for voluntary groups, including those involved with youth, minority and rural communities.
More than 600 groups have already been recognised since the Award was created by Her Majesty to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, with 79 groups being selected to receive it in 2008. Winners of the 2009 Award will be announced in June 2009.
Reflecting on what winning can mean to groups, Sanja Kane, Manager of Learn English at Home (LEAH), recipient of the 2008 Award for its delivery of one-to-one home tutoring in English and befriending of non-English speaking residents, said:
“We were so honoured to receive this prestigious Award – all the more precious to us because we know that there are so many worthy voluntary organisations in the UK.
“Last year was a difficult one for us and the Award couldn’t have come at a better time, recognising as it does the commitment of all those who have volunteered for us over many years, and without whom we would not be where we are today.”
Further information on how you can nominate a local voluntary group
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 The
Queen announced the Award during her address to both Houses
of Parliament on 30 April 2002.
The Queen spoke of the Award in her Christmas
Broadcast to the Commonwealth 2003.
The relevant part of the speeches, which
are available below, can be listened to in 'wav' format
(this will run using windows media player), viewed in flash
format
(you will require the flash plugin installed), or read
by accessing the transcript.
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