King’s Award for Voluntary Service
Volunteers seldom seek the limelight for themselves, yet what they do promotes and contributes significantly to the wellbeing of others and worthwhile causes that might otherwise be overlooked, or worse still, decline. Somerset is no exception in having a significant number of voluntary organisations that serve our community in a myriad of outstanding ways.
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service was set up to recognise such groups.
It is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK and was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of The Queen’s coronation. It is the MBE for volunteer groups. The announcement of awards is made in June each year.
Any group doing volunteer work that provides a social, economic or environmental service to the local community can be nominated for the award. Initial nominations are processed by the Lieutenancy Office whose details are on this website and involve a panel of Deputy Lieutenants who prepare citations for the Lord Lieutenant to forward to the Honours and Awards Committee in London. Each group is assessed on their own merits on the benefit it brings to the local community and its standing within that community.
Nominations open on 1 April each year and need to be submitted by September of the year before the award for example, Sep 2019 for a 2020 award.
How to nominate a group
Find full guidance and details on how to nominate on The King’s Award for Voluntary Service website
The Award
The Lord Lieutenant, as His Majesty’s representative, presents each group with a:
- certificate signed by The King and,
- a commemorative crystal at a local ceremony.
Significantly, award recipients are entitled to use The King’s Award emblem on their website, stationery and other printed material.
Each successful group is also allocated two places at the annual Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London or the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh.
Previous Somerset Recipients
Year | Organisation | Location |
---|---|---|
2023 | Crewkerne and District Museum and Heritage Centre RAFT Share and Repair West Somerset Food Cupboard | Crewkerne Taunton Frome Minehead |
2022 | PROMISEworks The Minehead Hope Centre Trust | Glastonbury Minehead |
2021 | Active and In Touch* YFW Blood Bikes (Yeovil Free Wheelers EVS)* *Special designation for Covid related support | Frome Yeovil |
2020 | Minehead Amateur Theatrical Association Regal Theatre (MATA) Festival Medical Services Somerset BME Network Barton Camp | Minehead Evercreech, Bath Weston -Super-Mare Winscombe |
2019 | Forum 21 Portishead in Bloom Somerset Sight Wiveliscombe Area Partnership | Watchet Portishead Taunton Wiveliscombe |
2018 | HomeStart West Somerset Mentoring Plus Watchet Phoenix Volunteer Team | Minehead Bath Watchet |
2017 | PALS (Proactive Lifestyle) Watchet Live CIC | Watchet/West Somerset Watchet |
2016 | MARLENS | Clevedon |
2015 | Apple FM | Taunton |
2014 | Burnham Area Rescue Boat (BARB) The Helicopter Museum, Weston-Super-Mare The Mayor of Bath’s Corps of Honorary Guides Stand Against Violence Taunton Street Pastors | Burnham Weston-Super-Mare Bath Taunton Taunton |
2013 | Clevedon Pride South West Fishing for Life The Open Door Zenith Youth Theatre Company | Clevedon West Somerset Taunton Bath |
2012 | Avonvale Witness Service | Bristol |
2011 | Glastonbury Opportunities Mendip Community Transport Take Note | Glastonbury Shepton Mallet Street |
2010 | Backwell Environment Trust Clevedon Care Community Justice Panel (South Somerset) Somerset Amateur Swimming Association | Backwell Clevedon Chard/South Somerset Street |
2007 | Crewkerne Aqua Centre Volunteers | Crewkerne |
2004 | West Somerset Disability Association | Minehead |
2003 | Burnham and Highbridge Stroke Club The Home Furniture Service Trust | Burnham Taunton |