Royal recognition for Devon’s top volunteer groups
Five Devon volunteer groups receive the Royal seal of approval as they are honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2017.
The Award, the highest given each year to volunteer groups, sets the benchmark for excellence in volunteering and is equivalent in status to the MBE. It recognises and celebrates outstanding achievement by groups of volunteers who regularly devote their time to helping and providing opportunity for others in the community and improving the quality of life.
This year’s winners in Devon are:
- Devon and Cornwall Community Advice and Support Service (CASS+)
- Hope Cove Life Boat
- National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) station Torbay, Devon
- The Estuary League of Friends
- The Stewards of the Devon County Show
They will be presented with their awards by Devon’s Lord Lieutenant, David Fursdon, the Queen’s personal representative in the county, at a special ceremonial event later in the year.
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.”
Carole Edwards, general manager CASS+ said:
“We are thrilled to accept the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service on behalf of our charity, CASSPLUS. This is a real honour and is testament to the commitment of a very small team of staff, and a very much larger team of volunteers, over the past 11 years. We have been on quite a journey. I am so proud of everyone who has been involved with us-both past and present. They have helped to shape CASSPLUS and, most critically, to shape the lives of thousands of vulnerable people they have touched along the way.”
About the Award
The Queens Award for Voluntary Service was created by Her Majesty to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Groups must be nominated for the award, for example, by beneficiaries of their work, members of the public, representatives of public bodies, or other voluntary groups.
The citation for CASS+
“CASS+ volunteers seek to provide effective signposting to support agencies, social services and liaison with Justice departments. They are demonstrably effective in addressing a gap between the administration of justice and the provision of support and guidance thus reducing recidivism and reducing the cost to the public purse of the sort of low-level crime that forms such a high proportion of cases to come before the Bench.”