By Tony O’Riley And Charlotte Webster-
Charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have received the prestigious Queens award for delivering exceptional service within their communities over the past year and beyond.
The winners have been highly credited for carrying out critical work to enhance the lives of others, from reaching people suffering with dementia through music and song in Gloucestershire, to providing support and friendship to refugees and asylum seekers in Merseyside.
Suffolk topped the list of recipients of the award, including, Butley Ferry, Home-Start in Suffolk, Inside Out Community and Success After Stroke are all being recognised for their community work
The Hour Community was recognised for its helps people living in and around Framlingham with a number of projects. The charity has progressed remarkably in the last decade, attracting plenty of support, including from the likes of celebrities like Ed Sheeran
Thrilled CEO of Hour Community, Nick Coleman. told The Eye Of Media.Com: ”This is amazing for everyone here. It has been the culmination of what people have done for the past 10 years.
We ask our volunteers to contribute just one hour of their time to help others, and some decide to put in 2-3 hours at a time.
We arrange shopping for people on a daily basis, and transport the elderly and needy to the hospital regularly. We have a dedicated mental health team that also help.
The support we have had over the years has been so great. We went from receiving donations of 2,000-3,000 a year to our highest donation of 189,000 last year.
We don’t do this for awards , so it great to be recognised for our services. We transport people to and from hospital for medical appointments”
.Butley Ferry was also recognised, in what has been a busy year after the ferry featured in the Sutton Hoo film, The Dig.
A jubilant Roy Truman, head ferryman, said: “To get recognition for our work from such a high level is the icing on the cake. One ecstatic community celebrating the awards in Hour Community- an initiative was created to support the residents of Framlingham and its surrounding villages.
Beginning in 2011 and becoming a registered charity in 2016, we have since grown and continue to respond to identified need, employing the skills of dedicated volunteers..
Many of those honoured have adapted their services to respond to the coronavirus outbreak as the voluntary sector continues to play a vital role in the national recovery.
Home-Start in Suffolk volunteers celebrate – Credit: Big Fish Photography
The honour has been recognised through a special designation given to 164 of the group for providing impactful support during the initial lockdown.
Roy Truman taking passengers across on the ferry – Credit: Butley Ferry
Success After Stroke volunteers were delighted to win a Queen’s Award
Success after Stroke trustee Viv Bourne told The Eye Of Media.Com: ” We are delighted four our volunteers. They absolutely deserve this amazing award. They have been selfless and outstanding for years without seeking notice. Everybody is thrilled.”
“We have the most amazing volunteers. They give their time freely and generously. They build up wonderful relationships with the members.
Coinciding with Volunteers’ Week, the Queen’s Award recognises that volunteers have been vital throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and will continue to be as the country emerges from lockdown.
Minister for Civil Society and Youth, Baroness Barran, will be marking Volunteers’ Week with a series of visits to some of the exceptional organisations carrying out critical work.
Volunteers’ Week is an annual celebration for the UK to recognise those who have dedicated their time to support their local community, both through the pandemic, and over many years.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Independent Committee Chair Sir Martyn Lewis, said:
There is no finer example of democracy in action than people getting together at a local level to tackle a problem or issue at the heart of their community. This year’s magnificent award-winning groups touch virtually every area of need across our society.
They also highlight the growing and key role which volunteers are playing in times of rapid change and unprecedented challenges. Whether driven by a neighbourly passion to help others or to achieve that well recognised “high” of personal satisfaction, volunteering taps into a rich spirit of generosity, ingenuity and kindness. The Queen’s Award’s judges are proud to honour the achievements of those who help to make our country great.
Minister for Civil Society, Baroness Barran said:
”I’m extremely grateful for the work being carried out by volunteers across the country, and this prestigious award is extremely well deserved. I’d like to congratulate all of the winners, and thank them for the dedication to their communities.
In these challenging times, charities, social enterprises and their volunteers have been the backbone of local communities.
Recent research has shown that 99% of people who have volunteered report positive personal benefits, including a sense of purpose, achievement and feeling as though they are making a difference. I hope today’s award inspires people and I encourage everyone to consider how they could volunteer in some way.
Other main recipients of the 2021 awards demonstrate the diversity of organisations supporting our communities and also their ability to innovate. It includes:
Second Wave Centre for Youth Arts in London is among the proud recipients of the award. The excellent centre based in Deptford and formed in 1982 provides a meeting place for young people, diverting them from criminal activity through theatre and writing projects. During the pandemic, they have established a series of small, socially-distanced support groups.
Fellrunner Village Bus in Cumbria, a volunteer minibus service which has been running since 1979 has been very instrumental and caring the elderly in rural communities across Eden District. They provide much-needed access to shops and services for the elderly and isolated.
They have three 17-seat minibuses, (driver plus up to sixteen passengers) all owned by Fellrunner, and maintained to a high standard. Fully insured, taxed, MOT’d and regularly safety inspected by Cumbria County Council Fleet Services, they are very deserving of the Queen’s award.
During the pandemic, they provided shopping and collected prescriptions for shielding villagers, and also delivered food parcels.
Westhill and District Men’s Shed in Aberdeenshire bring men together for friendship, to reduce loneliness and improve mental health. During the pandemic, they used a 3D printer to produce 2700 face shields for care staff.
A Safe Space to be Me in County Antrim was recognised for their provision of mental health support in a rural community.
During the pandemic, they delivered 48 laptops for home schooling and provided practical support and financial aid.
Barmouth Community First in Gwynedd provides a fast response to accidents and emergencies in a rural area until an ambulance arrives. During the pandemic, they have delivered prescriptions to shielded members of the community, and collect essential medical supplies to assist the local pharmacy.