The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
The Award recognises the vital role played by the hundreds of thousands of 'unsung heroes' of the voluntary and community world and emphasises the importance of continuing recognition of their work.
You can nominate a group (two or more persons) for the Award if:
- it is providing a high quality service to benefit individuals or groups in the community;
- it is operating and providing a service in the United Kingdom;
- it has been operating for a minimum of 3 years (exceptions may be made for short-term projects); and
- it is made up entirely of volunteers (including trustees), or it includes some paid staff, but they must be in the minority of those involved.
A group solely involved in fundraising activities for charitable purposes e.g. street collections, jumble sales or charity shops, is not eligible unless it is also providing a service to the community. Examples of services are concerts, fêtes and hospital café facilities. Groups operating outside the United Kingdom are not eligible.
Further information about the Award and a nomination form can be found on the Award website www.queensawardvoluntary.gov.uk
Nominations are now open for a special award that will mark Her Majesty the Queen's Diamond Jubilee by recognising the work of voluntary organisations throughout the United Kingdom.
The new Queen's Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award 2012 will honour the efforts of charities and voluntary organisations that undertake projects at a national level this year, including groups which are supporting the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award is an extension of the successful Queen's Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS), the highest recognition for volunteering, with an equivalent status to the UK MBE.
It has been established by the Cabinet Office with the approval of Buckingham Palace. It is the first time that groups which operate at a national level can be nominated, as the existing QAVS applies only to community volunteering at a local level.
Members of the public are invited to submit nominations electronically for the awards.