Following the sad death of Her Majesty the Queen on 8th September 2022, the information below will be updated as soon as we have been made aware of the wishes of His Majesty King Charles in respect of this project.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK for outstanding work done in their local communities for the benefit of others.
The annual Award – the equivalent of an MBE – was created by Her Majesty in 2002 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of her coronation. The Awards are announced on 2nd June each year. The Lord-Lieutenant or a Deputy Lieutenant visits the winning groups to present a certificate with citation signed by The Queen, together with an engraved commemorative crystal.
This prestigious UK national honour sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering. Each nomination is judged on the benefits it gives to the local community. There is not a set number of winners in a sector of volunteering work or region of the country.
You are actively encouraged to nominate any volunteer group in Rutland if you know about the work they do and believe it should be honoured in this way. To make sure a group is considered for an award the year after it is nominated, submit your nomination by 18 September. Any group of two or more people doing volunteering work (for three years or more) that is a social, economic or environmental service to the local community can be nominated for the award.
If the volunteer group you nominate is eligible for the Award, the nomination will be assessed initially at county level. The Lord Lieutenant’s recommendations are then sent to the National Award Committee which, in turn, makes recommendations to the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office sends a recommended list of volunteer groups that should win the award to the Queen for her approval. Winning volunteer groups will be informed if they are going to win the award before the public announcement is made.
For full details including information on how to make a nomination, click here.