Fifteen voluntary groups from North Yorkshire have been shortlisted for the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.
The award is given annually for outstanding achievement by groups of volunteers who regularly devote their time to helping and improving the quality of life of others in the community and providing an outstanding service.
Volunteer groups from North Yorkshire, the City of York and Teesside are encouraged to step forward for nomination for the Queen’s Award, which was created in 2002 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation, and is equivalent to an MBE for volunteer groups.
Award winners will be announced on Friday 2 June 2017, the anniversary of HM the Queen’s Coronation.
A presentation ceremony for North Yorkshire’s winners will be held by the Lord-Lieutenant in September.
Many different types of organisations have won the award since it was launched, including groups working to improve the local environment, running community centres, managing play schemes and supporting families.
“The award recognises the increasingly crucial work of volunteers who give up spare time to help others and provide services in their community”, said Barry Dodd CBE, Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, “it also gives groups a chance to inspire others to get involved and make a positive impact.
“North Yorkshire has a great tradition of volunteering and this is reflected in the quality of work by the bumper crop of nominations this year.”
Winning groups receive a certificate signed by The Queen and a commemorative piece of crystal for display at the group’s main place of operation. The Awards are presented on behalf of The Queen by the local Lord-Lieutenant or Lieutenant-Governor.
The North Yorkshire nominations shortlist is:
| NY Nominated Charity or Group | Category | Location |
| Elvington & Sutton on Derwent First Responders | Emergency response | Elvington, YO41 4BH |
| Filey Ladies Lifeboat Guild | Emergency response | Filey, YO14 9BB |
| Holgate Windmill Preservation Society | Heritage | Holgate, YO24 4JA |
| Older Citizens Advocacy York | Social preventative scheme | York, YO31 7QG |
| PhysioNet – Helping the Disabled Overseas | Health | Knaresborough, HG5 8EA |
| Ripon Museum Trust | Heritage | Ripon, HG4 1LE |
| Scarborough Survivors | Health | Scarborough, YO11 1JR |
| Stokesley Pride in our Town Association | Environment & Regeneration | Stokesley, TS9 5HB |
| Sunshine Project Northeast | Social centre/community | Middlesbrough, TS39PT |
| Tadcaster Volunteer Car Service | Social preventative scheme | Tadcaster, LS24 8DP |
| The Heather Hopper Minibus | Self help/support group | Whitby, YO21 2JY |
| The Nidderdale Museum Society | Heritage | Pateley Bridge, HG3 5L3, |
| Zetland FM Community Radio | Arts | Redcar, TS10 1AT |
| Sheriff Hutton Jumblies | Social centre/community | Sheriff Hutton, YO60 6SS |
| York Against Cancer | Health | York, YO32 9QN |
The 2018 awards round is now open and nominations for groups considered to be outstanding must be submitted by midnight on Sunday 15 September 2017.
Any group of two or more people doing voluntary work which provides a social, economic or environmental service to the local community can be nominated. The majority of the group must be volunteers and be locally based.
Nominations are assessed by a regional committee before being passed to a national committee for final selection and recommendation to The Queen.
Details can be found at https://qavs.direct.gov.uk/guidance-notes