Features
Last chance for 2012 Queen’s Volunteer Award nominations from Yorkshire and the Humber
A South Yorkshire children’s charity is leading a call for nominations for The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups, ahead of this year’s Friday 30th September deadline.
Dinnington-based SAFE@LAST, which won the prestigious award in 2009, is appealing for other voluntary groups in Yorkshire and the Humber to be recognised for their outstanding work – which can only be done by making a nomination. The charity, which works with vulnerable young people who are at risk through running away from home or care, said that winning the Award had helped to raise its profile and boost volunteer recruitment.
The Award, part of the UK National Honours system, was created by Her Majesty to mark the Golden Jubilee in 2002 and recognises the outstanding contributions made to local communities by groups of volunteers. Next year is the Award’s 10th anniversary and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year. To help celebrate these two events, the aim is to give even more voluntary groups a chance to receive the Award.
As part of their Award, SAFE@LAST received a certificate signed by the Queen and an exclusive commemorative crystal, and volunteers from the charity also attended a summer Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.
Founder Trustee Hilary Massarella said: “So many people contribute their time, skills and hard work to SAFE@LAST on a daily basis, and having our efforts acknowledged in this way made us extremely proud.
“Receiving the Queen’s Award has been like a stamp of approval and we have proudly displayed the logo on SAFE@LAST’S materials. It has added value to our volunteer recruitment campaigns, signalling to potential volunteers the quality of our services and volunteer programme. We were also able to gain positive press coverage, which all contributes to raising the profile of the charity – and the issues of the young people we work with.”
In June this year, three outstanding groups in Yorkshire and the Humber – Friends of Sandall Park, Hull Kung Fu and Humber Rescue – received the Award after being nominated by friends, family, beneficiaries or members of the public, but there are many more groups in the region which deserve to receive this recognition for their volunteers.
In previous years, winners from the region have included Rotherham-based Second Nature Life Support and the West Riding Woodcarvers’ Association in 2009, and the Yorkshire Dales-based Cave Rescue Organisation in 2010.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Main Award Committee Chair and former broadcast journalist Martyn Lewis CBE said:
“Volunteering groups make a huge contribution to people’s lives, often without praise for the incredible job they do. A prestigious UK National Honour such as The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service can prove invaluable in so many ways to their ongoing success.
“The importance of volunteer groups is all the more apparent in the current climate, and I urge people across Yorkshire and the Humber to help recognise those doing outstanding work in their local communities. Whether you know a group or have benefitted personally from their activities, get a form and nominate!”
Nominations can be made at any time throughout the year but for those wishing to be considered for the 2012 Award, forms must be received by Friday 30th September 2011.
For further details of how to nominate and to see The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service recipients visit The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service or contact the Award Administrator on
