Five charities from the North Yorkshire Lieutenancy have been recognised in this year’s Queen’s Awards for Voluntary Service.
The charities being honoured are:
Next Steps Mental Health Resource Centre
Next Steps supports people in Ryedale with mental health and well-being issues. It provides a drop-in centre, rehabilitation activities and outreach groups. Service users find a non-judgmental, safe haven and very often become volunteers. The service prevents isolation and loneliness and promotes health and well-being for everyone.
North Ormesby Amateur Boxing Club
The volunteers train both children and adults the art of boxing. The group has trained young people between the ages of nine and 16 for a long time, which has allowed some of the youngsters to become professional boxers.
Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust
The trust’s objectives are to preserve buildings by “making buildings better”. The group has restored the grade 2* redundant Richmond Station, entirely with volunteers, raising £2.7m through grants and fundraising. The Station is now an exciting venue for film, food and art. The trust is now working on new projects.
St John’s Community Centre Catterick Garrison
The group supports people with a variety of disabilities in the Catterick Garrison area of Richmondshire. One of the centre’s focuses is to encourage people to maintain independence, so it provides four key support services including assisted shopping, internet shopping, day service cover and a sitting service, which provides respite for carers. In 2016-17, more than 4,015 vulnerable adults were helped through the centre, which provides an opportunity for social interaction, encourages positive mental health and allows people with physical ailments the opportunity to access everyday services.
Swaledale Festival
Swaledale Festival brings world-class music and arts to this remote area and gives a platform to local, national and international artists. Hard to reach groups engage in music and arts projects all year, culminating in performances and exhibitions. Local businesses benefit from a huge boost in tourism income.
The awards are announced on Saturday, 2 June, ahead of the Queen’s official birthday. The successful groups will receive their awards at a reception at Scampston Hall, near Malton, on 27 September.
The announcement of the award winners comes days after the tragic death of Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for North Yorkshire, Mr Barry Dodd CBE, in a helicopter accident on Wednesday, 30 May.
The Vice Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Major Peter Scrope DL, said: “Barry was strongly committed to the Queen’s Awards for Voluntary Service and was extremely proud of this year’s winners and the many successes of the past. Our thoughts at this time are very much with Barry’s family and friends. I know he would want us to celebrate these North Yorkshire successes and as we do so his huge support for the people, organisations and businesses of the county will be at the forefront of our minds.”