The Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire has called on people in Stone to nominate local voluntary groups for The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups and the highest award given to volunteer groups in the UK.
Ian Dudson said: “Voluntary groups in Staffordshire continue to play a pivotal role in the community, and many individuals’ lives. Recognising their influence s vital and I want Staffordshire to express their gratitude to these groups by nominating as many as possible for The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honour in the voluntary sector.”
What this means for Stone is supporting the local charities and voluntary services such as the Oak Tree Farm Rural Project, who work to provide training and occupation to adults with learning disabilities in a rural environment. This is far from the only voluntary organisation to get behind in Stone, Re-Solv is another local group which works towards ending substance abuse among children and young adults, then there’s the work of local festivals and charities, Stone in Bloom, Rotary and Round Table and more. So many to nominate!
There are currently 53 groups across Staffordshire who have received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service since its creation by Her Majesty in 2002 to mark her Golden Jubilee. The groups who provide these diverse activities have acknowledged the benefits of these Awards, which include an overall increase in the awareness of voluntary groups to potential sources of funding and an increase in the number of volunteers, which obviously aids these organisations massively.
For the relevant forms and further information on the Awards, go to www.direct.gov.uk/thequeensawardforvoluntaryservice or alternatively you can call 020 7271 6206 to request a hard copy. Nominations for the 2016 Award should be received by Friday 18th September 2015 and the successful groups will be announced in June 2016.
