Overview
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK.
Eligibility
Any group of 2 or more people doing volunteering work can be nominated for the award. The majority of the group must be volunteers, and more than half the volunteers must have the right to live in the UK.
To be nominated they should do work that:
- provides a service and meets a need for people living in the local community
- is supported, recognised and respected by the local community and the people who benefit from it
- is run locally
Volunteer groups should have been running for 3 years or more to be nominated.
What the winners get
Winners get a certificate signed by the Queen and a domed glass crystal. Representatives from the group may also be invited to attend a royal garden party.
How the winners are decided
Local assessment panels look at all the nominations and decide which ones to send to the National Award Committee.
The committee makes recommendations to the Cabinet Office, which sends a final list to the Queen for her approval.
Winners are announced on 2 June every year.