Royal recognition for Dartmouth Caring
Dartmouth Caring is celebrating its Royal seal of approval, one month before the Charity’s 30th birthday, having been given the honour of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2018.
The Queen’s Award, the highest available to voluntary sector organisations, is only given to groups that can demonstrate excellence in volunteering. It has the equivalent status to the MBE and is a reward to all those volunteers, and those who work for the charity, who regularly give their time for the benefit others.
There are two winners this year across Devon, Dartmouth Caring and SSAFA Devon Branch.
Dartmouth Caring will be thanking their volunteers and staff later in the year as part of their birthday festivities. Some volunteers and staff will be presented with the award by Devon’s Lord Lieutenant, David Fursdon, the Queen’s personal representative in the county, at a special ceremonial event later in the year.
Dee Nutt, Chair of Dartmouth Caring said
“I am absolutely delighted that the charity has received this award in recognition for all the work we have been doing to support those in need in the town and local villages. It is especially wonderful that this comes one month shy of our 30th Birthday. I would like to thank all the volunteers and staff, present and past, that have made this possible.”
Nick Hindmarsh, Manager of Dartmouth Caring said
“I am grateful that the thorough selection process not only recognised all the visible work the charity does, such as the lunch clubs in the market square, but also fully understood the impact of the considerable work done, out of sight, by volunteers and staff in people’s homes and in the office, because this is often where we have the greatest impact on people’s lives. I would also like to thank all those who nominated us for this wonderful accolade and met with the assessors when they came to see us in action, it is thanks to all of them and their efforts that we have been recognised so publically.
This is a tribute to all those who have contributed to us, in every way, over the past 30 years!”
Lord-Lieutenant David Fursdon said:
“The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is highly sought after and speaks volumes for the strength and value of the voluntary sector in Devon as well as giving national recognition to the marvellous achievements of this year’s Award winners. The Awards Ceremony in County Hall, Exeter, will be a very special occasion.
I very much hope that these Awards will act as an inspiration to all voluntary groups and volunteers in the county and encourage yet more nominations to be made.”
Winners this year range from FISH Neighbourhood Cafe, an organisation situated in Barnes, Mortlake and East Sheen in Greater London, which combats loneliness and social isolation in older and vulnerable people, to The Monday Night Club who provide social opportunities and sport activities for adults with learning difficulties in Worcestershire.
The unique UK national honour was created by Her Majesty to mark the Golden Jubilee in 2002 and to recognise the outstanding contributions made to local communities by groups of volunteers.
Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, said:
Everyone who has received this award should be incredibly proud. Their service, commitment and care has a profoundly positive impact on communities throughout the country and I am delighted they have been recognised with this prestigious award.
The record number of recipients this year is testament to the strength of the voluntary sector and I am sure this trend will continue into the future. If you know any organisations that deserve to be recognised, make your voice heard and nominate them for next year.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Independent Committee Chair, former broadcast journalist Sir Martyn Lewis said:
This year’s record number of Queen’s Award awardees are a powerful testimony to the remarkable achievements and innovative ideas which characterise volunteering in the UK. They prove that, more than ever, volunteers beavering away at grassroots level are the active lifeblood of our communities, identifying all kinds of problems and issues and tackling them with enthusiasm, talent and a high degree of success.
The recipients of the Queen’s Award are at the very top of a formidable volunteering movement in the UK involving millions of our citizens, and going from strength to strength.