Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service | |
---|---|
File:Queensawardforvoluntaryservicelogo.jpg Award logo | |
Awarded for | For outstanding achievement by groups of volunteers. |
Country | United Kingdom |
Presented by | The Queen |
First awarded | 2003 |
Website | qavs |
The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, also known as The Queen's Golden Jubilee Award for Voluntary Service by Groups in the Community and The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award is an annual award given to groups in the voluntary sector of the United Kingdom. Winning groups are announced in the London Gazette on 2 June each year, the anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The award is equivalent to the MBE and is the highest award that can be made to a voluntary group. The award is managed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
History
The award was announced by Elizabeth II on 30 April 2002, in celebration of her Golden Jubilee, as part of her Golden Jubilee speech to the House of Lords and House of Commons.[1][2] The first awards were made in 2003.[3]
Eligibility
With the majority of volunteers, groups of two or more people for volunteer work can be nominated, and more than half of the volunteers must have rights living in the UK. Their works must be on service, meets a need, supported, recognised and respected for and by the local community. The groups of volunteers must be running their service for three years or more.[4]
Award
Nominations are made online and one award is given per three nominations on average.[5] Winners receive a certificate signed by the Queen and a domed glass crystal. The volunteer group's representatives also may be invited to attend a royal garden party by the Queen.[4]
Procedure for assessment and selection
Each nomination is first appraised in the county where the group works. This appraisal is led by the Lord Lieutenant, Her Majesty's representative in the county, helped by a County Assessment Panel of leading representatives from diverse sectors of the community. The Lord Lieutenant or their representatives, or both, may meet with the nominated group.
A Specialist Assessment Panel of independent volunteering experts from across the UK judge nominated groups against the Award criteria, taking into account the first appraisal. The panel passes its recommendations to the Main Award Committee.
The Main Award Committee advise the Cabinet Office and the Minister for Civil Society.
The award is decided after the Queen has given her formal approval. [6]
Recipients
As of June 2018[update], over 1,500 groups had received the award,[7] including:
- 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum
- 24:7 Theatre Festival
- Afghanistan and Central Asian Association
- Andy's Man Club[8]
- Avon Valley Railway
- Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue
- Bilston Town F.C.
- Blood Bikes Wales
- Blue Apple Theatre
- Bluebell Railway
- British Red Cross
- British Youth Council
- Brunel Museum
- Cave Rescue Organisation
- Cheshire Search and Rescue
- Ford Park Cemetery
- Freewheelers EVS
- Highfields School, Matlock
- Hospital Radio Plymouth
- Inspiration FM
- Inverness Hospital Radio
- Islington Chinese Association
- Kennet and Avon Canal Trust
- Kynren
- Maritime Volunteer Service
- Mills Archive
- Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre
- Mountain Rescue Ireland
- Muslim Hands
- National Coastwatch Institution
- North Devon Hospice[9]
- Oxford Friend
- Royal National Institute for Deaf People
- Royal National Lifeboat Institution (various individual branches)
- Sandall Park
- Scene & Heard
- Seagull Trust
- Shooting Star Children's Hospices
- South Norfolk Youth Symphonic Band
- Swindon 105.5
- Switchboard (UK)
- Talyllyn Railway
- Tommy Jessop
- Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association
- Warwickshire Vision Support
- World Mission Society Church of God
- Zenith Youth Theatre Company
References
- ^ "Full text of the Queen's Jubilee speech". BBC News. 30 April 2002. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
- ^ "Nominating a group for The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service". GOV UK. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- ^ Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family: A Glorious Illustrated History. DK Publishing. 2015.
- ^ a b "Queens Award for Voluntary Service". GOV UK. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- ^ Hennessey, Kat (25 June 2014). "The Queen's Awards for Enterprise". GOV UK. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- ^ "WATV – UK Queens Award". Archived from the original on 7 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
Procedure for Assessment and Selection
- ^ "Winners and case studies of The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service". Direct Gov. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012.
- ^ "Andy's Man Club Halifax receives The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service". www.halifaxcourier.co.uk. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ Matt Smart (2 June 2020). "North Devon Hospice's volunteers receive royal recognition with Queen's Award". North Devon Gazette. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Use dmy dates from August 2022
- Use British English from August 2022
- Articles containing potentially dated statements from June 2018
- All articles containing potentially dated statements
- British awards
- Awards established in 2002
- Humanitarian and service awards
- 2002 establishments in the United Kingdom