Winners of the special Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Volunteering Award announced

A special one-off addition to the annual Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) has been awarded to 20 national charities for their exceptional work to empower young people. Created in honour of Her Late Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we are delighted that two local organisations, Youth Action N Ireland and Start 360 are among the winners of this prestigious award, as well as other UK wide organisations who also carry out impactful work with young people in N Ireland.

From large household names to those operating on a smaller scale, the work of each awardee is vital in providing young people aged 16-25 with new opportunities, challenges, activities and skills. Her Late Majesty The Queen displayed a life-long dedication to public service throughout her 70-year reign, so it is fitting that this one-off edition of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service recognises the thousands of volunteers who have showcased a similar longstanding commitment to their work.

Sir Martyn Lewis CBE, the QAVS Chair said:

“These awards are a timely acknowledgement of the wide-ranging support and encouragement that is available to young people across the UK. They highlight the indispensable role that the voluntary sector plays in targeting help, advice and guidance where it is needed most. These awards should also be seen as a tribute to the millions of volunteers and donors who, in difficult times, provide the resources of time and money which contribute so powerfully to the social fabric of our country.”

Judging panel member Sandra Adair MBE, the representative of the Queen’s Award in N Ireland said:

“It was an honour to be part of the judging panel for the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Volunteering Award. All the organisations are carrying out amazing work with young people – they are truly transforming lives!”

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups. It was established 20 years ago to commemorate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee, and has recognised around 250 outstanding local volunteer groups across the UK each year to date. Awarded annually, the date for the 2023 awardees will soon be confirmed. In June 2022, 244 local voluntary organisations across the UK received this prestigious award, all of which enhanced the lives of others through their work. Awardees of the 2022 award can be found here.

To celebrate their achievements, the awardees of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Volunteering Award will be invited to a unique presentation event in 2023.

ENDS