Queens Award for Voluntary Service - closing date 16 September

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK. This annual award recognises and rewards excellence in voluntary activities carried out by groups in the community.
 First announced in 2002 as part of the celebrations for The Queen's Golden Jubilee, the award is given for outstanding achievement by groups of volunteers who regularly devote their time to helping others in the community, improving the quality of life and opportunity for others and providing an outstanding service.

Over the years, the award has gone to many different types of groups including those who are working to improve their local environment, running community centres, supporting families, or working with children and young people.

Anyone in the UK can nominate a group. To be eligible, the group must consist of two or more people who have been doing volunteering work for at least three years. The majority of the group must be volunteers, and more than half the volunteers must have the right to live in the UK.

Groups cannot nominate themselves but can be nominated by those who benefit from their work, members of the public, representatives of public bodies, or other voluntary groups.

Nominations are assessed by a regional committee before being passed to a national committee for final selection and recommendation to The Queen.

To be nominated, groups should do work that:

• Provides a service and meets a need for people living in the local community.
• Is supported, recognised and respected by the local community and the people who benefit from it.
• Is run locally.

The winners are announced each year on 2 June (the anniversary of The Queen's Coronation). They will receive a certificate signed by The Queen and an exclusive commemorative crystal, presented by Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenants in their counties at special ceremonies arranged by the Lieutenancy offices and in the countries of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The deadline for nominations to the 2017 Awards is 16 September 2016 (midnight).

Further details are available from: https://www.gov.uk/queens-award-for-voluntary-service/overview or email: queensaward@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

(Information originally received via WCVA newsletter)