The Volunteer Centre Chesterfield & NE Derbyshire has been awarded The Kings Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS). This is the highest Award given to voluntary groups across the UK, and it is awarded for life. The award is for voluntary groups rather than individuals and is seen as the MBE for voluntary groups.
In a correspondence from the KAVS Team The Volunteer Centre were told;
“His Majesty The King has approved the KAVS National Assessment Committee’s recommendation that the volunteers of The Volunteer Centre – Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire should receive The King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2023. This represents a tremendous achievement and we hope that the group’s volunteers will feel immensely proud of it.”
The announcement was made on November 14th and cited officially in the ‘London Gazette’ of the same date. This will be followed by a local presentation of a cut glass award and an official certificate signed by The King. In the summer of next year representatives of The Volunteer Centre will be invited to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.
CEO Dave Radford, on hearing the news said:
“Obviously we are all tremendously proud of what we have achieved. Our volunteers worked so hard and they did so much during the pandemic providing a much-needed shopping service to individuals. The local communities would have struggled without their fantastic help. However, it is so much more than that, this isn’t something that is handed out on a plate, it is an Award that shines a light on the fantastic work carried out by volunteers and groups that make a big difference in their communities. I think it will take sometime to wipe the smile off my face!”
