Local Charity presented with ‘King’s Award For Voluntary Service’

This week (3-7 June) is volunteers week and we would like to express our gratitude to all our volunteers and organisations who contribute to keeping our population safe and healthy. Their commitment and compassion make a significant difference to our communities, whether it’s during challenging times, or everyday routines.

Among these dedicated volunteers is The Volunteer Centre in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire who were presented with the ‘King’s Award for Voluntary Service’ in February.

The Volunteer Centre supports people to get into volunteering or gives them information on the organisations themselves. They also run a befriending project, mentoring project and a youth into volunteering project. Throughout the pandemic, their volunteers provided a shopping service to over 5,000 referrals.

Earlier this year The Volunteer Centre received the King’s Award for their outstanding work. The award for Voluntary Service shines a spotlight on exceptional voluntary groups throughout the UK. The award recognises organisations that go above and beyond, making a significant impact on their local communities.

The presentation took place in Derbyshire, where the Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Col John Wilson OBE, emphasised the significance of this award. He stated: “This award isn’t given out lightly; in fact, this year, only six nominated charities in Derbyshire have been granted it.”

The Volunteer Centre’s Chief Executive, Dave Radford, expressed his gratitude, saying: “This is a tremendous honour—the best thing that has happened to us in our 28 years. It is very exciting, but, of course, none of it would have been possible without the dedication of our tremendous volunteers.”

Find out more about the work of the charity by visiting their website.