By Tony O’Riley-
Successful voluntary organisations for the homeless have been invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace in 2021 , after receiving an award from the Lord-Lieutenant of West Sussex, Mrs Susan Pyper. The award is on behalf of the Queen.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was introduced in 2002, and aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups that benefit their local communities.
Successful groups for this year’s awards includes Turning Tides, the Fernhurst Centre, Henfield Haven CIO, Sussex Army Cadet Force. The groups are credited with providing useful services for helping the homeless and establishing activities to keep youths occupied.
Turning Tides is one of the most impressive providers of homeless services for single people in West Sussex. It runs 21 projects in various locations across the county. The organisation has 300 volunteers and 140 paid staff supporting its mission to end local homelessness.
The charity is supporting hundreds of clients in residential projects and 245 homeless people through outreach work.across Worthing, Littlehampton, Horsham and East Grinstead. Their services range from drop-in centres to rehabilitation and longer term accommodation projects.
Chief Executive Of Turning Tides, John Holmstroom, told The Eye Of Media.Com: ”The challenge of helping the homeless in Covid-19 has been enormous. Our committed team of keyworkers have been very supportive. Their wide support has included the provision of food, toiletries and cleaning products, to mobile phones and distraction packs to help with loneliness.
We are also delivering health education, and psychological and emotional support for all our existing and new service users.
The impact of Covid-19 on mental health is profound in a group of vulnerable people who have already experienced more trauma in their lives than most people”.
Mrs Pyper said: “I would like to offer my warmest congratulations to the four outstanding groups in the county that have been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
“During the assessments we were impressed by their commitment to making a positive difference to the lives of others in imaginative and creative ways.
“The award is a tremendous accolade for their activities, and their success demonstrates just how important the work of volunteers is, particularly at this very challenging time, not just in West Sussex, but throughout the country.
“I sincerely hope that their achievements will encourage other volunteer groups to consider putting themselves forward for nomination for this prestigious award.”
Fernhurst Centre has developed into a learning centre, coffee shop, book swap and meeting place, which is open six days a week for the benefit of all ages in the community of Fernhurst.
It now offers courses including computing and technology, languages, genealogy and -bay use.
Henfield Haven CIO is a charitable organisation led by volunteers that provides dementia care and a wide range of other well-being services to help relieve those in need, whether by reason of age, ill-health, disability or other disadvantage living in Henfield and its surrounding communities.
Another organisation that received an award was Sussex Army Cadet Force – a youth organisation providing special opportunities for young people to develop themselves through challenging, life-skills activities.
It is led by highly dedicated volunteers who deliver this for the wide demographic of the whole West and East Sussex communities
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was introduced in 2002 and aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups that benefit their local communities.
A total of 230 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups have received the Award this year.
The winners are announced each year on June 2, the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.