A group of ex-military volunteers based in South Yorkshire have been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, equivalent to the MBE, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.
H4HV whose work throughout England and Wales helping former members of HM Armed Forces facing homelessness is one of 230 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups, but only one of two in South Yorkshire to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations has increased year on year since the awards were introduced in 2002, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.
Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse. They include volunteer groups from across the UK, including a community shop in Cornwall, an environmental group in Swansea, a group working with refugees and vulnerable people in Stirling and a thriving community arts centre in County Down. Representatives of HELP 4 HOMELESS VETERANS will receive the award from Andrew Coombe Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire later this summer.
Furthermore two volunteers from HELP 4 HOMELESS VETERANS will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2021, along with other recipients of this year’s Award.
Steve Bentham-Bates the charity’s CEO says:
“We are a small but highly effective charity specialising in helping homeless ex Service personnel, our work has been recognized by other awards but this one makes us all so proud of our work, it pays tribute to all the hard work and commitment of our team of volunteers over a number of years.”
Notes to editors
1. Lord Lieutenants represent the monarch in each of the UK’s ceremonial counties.
2. This year there were 230 recipients of The Queen’s Award Voluntary Service from across the UK. More information on the recipients and the Award can be found at https://www.gov.uk/queens-award-for-voluntary-service
3. Any group of two or more people that has participated in voluntary work for more than three years can be nominated for the award. Full details on how to nominate are available at https://qavs.culture.gov.uk/
4. Nominations for the 2021 awards close on 25 September 2020.
