The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work done in their own communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of The Queen’s coronation. It is the MBE for volunteer groups.

Any group doing volunteer work that provides a social, economic or environmental service to the local community can be nominated for the award. Each group is assessed on the benefit it brings to the local community and its standing within that community. Take a look at the guidance notes for further conditions and information https://qavs.direct.gov.uk/guidance-notes

Nominations must be submitted on line by midnight on 14th September 2018 to make sure your nominated group is considered for the 2019 awards. The Award recognises the vital role played by the hundreds of thousands of unacknowledged heroes of the voluntary and community world and emphasises the importance of continuing recognition of their work. The Award covers groups operating in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

The Awards Office send nominations to Lieutenancies in November assessment, before the Awards Office judge each nomination. The awards are announced annually on 2 June. This date was chosen, as it is the anniversary of the Coronation. The Lord-Lieutenant presents the awards on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.

For comprehensive details on the award and how to nominate somebody for their voluntary work visit the following webpages:

https://www.gov.uk/queens-award-for-voluntary-service/overview

QUEEN’S AWARD FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICES WINNERS IN THE WEST MIDLANDS COUNTY

Since 2013, one of the core roles of the West Midlands Lieutenancy has been to promote the QAVS across the county.  This has resulted in significantly more West Midlands voluntary organisations being awarded this prestigious accolade.

List of winners:

2017:

Access to Business (A2B)

Ashmore Park Community Association

Bilston Town Community Football Club

Coventry Muslim Forum

European’s Welfare Association CIC

Fastaid Black Country

Hope Community Project

Interfaith Wolverhampton

Jai Jashn Dance

Savers

The Glebe Centre

The Haven Wolverhampton

White House Cancer Support

2016:

Aspiring Future CIC, Wolverhampton  www.aspiring-futures.co.uk

Carriers of Hope, Coventry  www.carriersofhope.org.uk

Coffee Tots, Coventry  www.coffeetots.co.uk

Coventry City Centre Poppy Appeal

Ekta Unity Group, Coventry  www.ekta-unity.org

FastAid, Solihull  www.fastaid.org.uk

Good Shepherd Ministry, Wolverhampton  www.gsmwolverhampton.org.uk

Holford Drive Community Sports Hub, Birmingham

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, Solihull  www.madhatterscharity.com

Masjid E Zeenat Ul Islam, Coventry  www.masjidzeenatulislam.org

Narthex Sparkhill, Birmingham   www.narthex.org.uk

Positive Images Festival, Coventry  www.positiveimagesfestival.co.uk

Radio Plus 101.5 FM, Coventry  www.radioplus.org.uk

Sikh Union Coventry  www.sikhunion.org

Solihull Branch of Parkinson’s UK  www.solihullparkinsons.org.uk

The Birmingham Pen Trade Heritage Association  www.penmuseum.org.uk

The Erdington Asian Women’s Society, Birmingham

The Knowle Society, Solihull   www.knowlesociety.org.uk

The What Centre, Dudley  www.thewhatcentre.com

Wolverhampton & Bilston Athletics Club  www.wolvesandbilstonac.co.uk

2015:

237th Birmingham (1st Castle Bromwich) Scout Group, Solihull

Apni Zaroorat Community Network (AZCN), Dudley

Black Country Food Bank, Dudley

Coventry & District Samaritans

Dudley Asian Women’s Network (DAWN)

Happy Hours, Dudley

Rowheath Pavilion, Birmingham

Sant Nirankari Mission, Walsall

Solihull Cancer Support Group

The Feast, Birmingham

Wednesbury Celebrates, Walsall

2014:

The 64^th Birmingham Scout Group, Birmingham

Coventry City Mission, Coventry

Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, Coventry

Heath Town Senior Citizen’s Welfare Project, Wolverhampton

Hope Centre, Block 11, Andrew Road, Dudley

LGBT Network, 4 Salop St, Wolverhampton

New Heights Warren Farm Community Project, Birmingham

Phoenix Swimming Club for Disabled People, Coventry

Power Pleas Trust, Wolverhampton

Service User Involvement Team, Wolverhampton

Troop Aid, Solihull

2013:

Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Volunteer Service

www.bwnft.nhs.uk/jobs-and-volunteering/volunteering-for-us

Side by Side Theatre Company, Dudley  www.sbstcs.org

South Staffordshire Narrowboats, Wolverhampton  www.ernestthomas.co.uk

Groups operating outside the United Kingdom are not eligible.

Nominations must now be submitted on-line and paper submissions are not accepted. Nominators should register themselves by entering a user name and password. The process is relatively simple but read any guidance notes first. Nominations are not submitted via Lieutenancies but directly to the Awards Office by the click of a submit button once the form is complete.

The Awards Office send nominations to Lord-Lieutenants in November for local final assessment before the Awards Office judge each nomination. Submissions can be made at any time of the year but the cut off for judging is at the end of September each year. The awards are announced annually on 2 June. This date was chosen, as it is the anniversary of the Coronation. The Lord-Lieutenant presents the awards on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.

For comprehensive details on the award and how to nominate visit the following webpages:
https://www.gov.uk/queens-award-for-voluntary-service/overview
Sign up by visiting the following link but always visit the above webpages first before starting your nomination.
https://qavs.direct.gov.uk/