Queen's Award for Voluntary Service

Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to volunteer groups, the equivalent of an MBE. This prestigious mark of recognition is granted to exceptional groups of volunteers who are making a positive impact in their community and benefiting others through their work.  What is especially being acknowledged are those volunteers who have taken the initiative to create, lead and drive forward the work of their organisation and are doing this in a way that is truly distinctive and excellent.

Members of the public with good knowledge of a group’s work can act as nominator and will need to ensure that the following criteria are met:

1. The group must provide direct benefits to a community through their work,  have been operating for at least three years and made up of three or more people
2. It must provide a specific local benefit
3. A national group that has local branches would not be suitable. However, one of its branches can be nominated
4. Evidence that the volunteers are initiating and managing the group’s work
5. Groups operating solely for the benefit of animals are not eligible, unless it can be demonstrated that their work provides other significant benefits to the local community
6. If the group is based within, or in support of, a public service such as a hospital, police force or school, it is eligible but you will need to show that it has a separate identity

2021 East Sussex winners were:  Sussex Pathways, Wayfinder Woman and Medi-Tech.

Nominations are now accepted until mid-September. The Awards are published on 2 June, the anniversary of Her  Majesty’s coronation.

If you have any questions related to a nomination for an East Sussex organisation, please email:  Juliet Smith JP DL at [email protected]

For general enquiries please contact:

Tel: 0207 271 6206                                                       Email: [email protected]