Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services gets one-off addition for Jubilee

The Government has today announced a special addition to the annual Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS), in honour of this year’s Platinum Jubilee. 

To reflect 20 years of QAVS, the one-off Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award for Volunteering will shine a spotlight on 20 national charities working to empower young people aged 16-25. It will be judged by a panel of civil society sector experts and youth representatives including Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Fionnuala Jay O’Boyle and Ndidi Okezie. 

Sir Martyn Lewis CBE, the QAVS Chair said: 

“Her Majesty’s faithful service to the nation over 70 years has been an inspiration to us all and is mirrored by countless acts of volunteering happening each day across the UK.

 

“For this special Jubilee Award we are looking forward to celebrating outstanding work with young people, helping them to flourish and be the best they can be. It’s a theme that’s important to all of us and is close to Her Majesty’s heart.”

The Platinum Jubilee Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is open for applications until 17 June. Nationally registered charities helping young people (aged 16-25), who have had a national impact either on a UK-wide, or England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland basis are invited to apply. 

The 20 winners to be announced in The Gazette in October, and presented with their award at a ceremony in November.  

Nominations for the 2023 QAVS awards are open until 15 September 2022.

Recent QAVS winners include:

• Small Acts of Kindness who provide practical gift bags to lonely and socially isolated older people in Hertfordshire and signpost them to support services.
• Equation in Nottingham who deliver projects in schools and the community to help prevent domestic abuse and encourage healthy relationships.
• Gurnos Men’s Project in Glamorgan who get disengaged young men involved in community volunteering and horticulture, as well as helping them improve core skills.
• Second Wave Centre for Youth Arts in London who run creative projects with young people and work with them to explore key issues such as knife crime and grooming. 
• Friends of M.V. Freedom in Dorset who take disabled people out to sea on a specially adapted boat.
• Via Wings in County Down who provide a wide range of support to those in need, including a food bank, teenage supper club, homework support, learning, and counselling.
• Westhill & District Men’s Shed in Aberdeenshire where socially isolated men can share skills, make friends and work together on repairing/refurbishing projects for the community.  

from UK Fundraising https://ift.tt/lmGg2wW