Outstanding volunteer groups in Northern Ireland clinch prestigious Award from the Queen

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7 June 2010 - 12:02pm
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Tagged as:

• Greenlight Gateway
• honours
• Inniskillings Museum Volunters
• Learmount Community Development Group
• Queen's Award
• rewarding volunteers
• Strabane Community Project
• volunteering
• Volunteers

Those from Northern Ireland receiving the Award for 2010 range from a community project for the residents of Strabane, to Inniskillings Museum volunteers and a group providing young people with severe learning difficulties with alternative day care services through recycling and gardening.

The prestigious national honour recognises outstanding contributions made to local communities by groups voluntarily devoting their time for the benefit of others. It sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering, with the work of those awarded being judged of the highest standard.

The Northern Irish winners were selected from 341 groups nominated by members of the public who have been helped personally or witnessed the benefits of a group's work in their community.

They will receive a certificate signed by the Queen and an exclusive commemorative crystal, presented by Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenants in the counties at special ceremonies arranged by the Lieutenancy offices. Groups have also received an invitation for representatives to attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in the summer.

The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service Main Award Committee Chair, former broadcast journalist Martyn Lewis CBE said,

"Outstanding volunteer groups across the UK all too often go without recognition for the truly amazing work they do, despite the vital part they play in helping bind our communities together. It's a great pleasure to celebrate the efforts of The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service winners in Northern Ireland and help raise awareness of all they do for the benefit of others."

More than 850 groups have now won the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, including 34 in Northern Ireland over the eight years since it was created by Her Majesty to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002.

For details of all this year's Award winners and information on how to nominate a group, visit www.direct.gov.uk/thequeensawardforvoluntaryservice, where a nomination form can be downloaded.

Northern Ireland Winners

The winners of The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2010 from Northern Ireland are:

• Strabane Community Project – Providing a luncheon Club and social activities for residents of Strabane
• Learmount Community Development Group (LCDG) – Providing services, facilities and programmes essential to a small isolated rural community in Park
• Greenlight Gateway – Providing young people with severe learning difficulties with alternative day care services through recycling and gardening
• The Inniskillings Museum Volunteers – Bringing to life the history of two famous regiments through memorabilia displays and inspiring stories