Community and Voluntary Service - Mid and North Bedfordshire Voluntary Works - A consortium of umbrella voluntary organisations providing a wide range of services across Bedfordshire & Luton


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Awards for Voluntary Groups & Volunteers

Have you ever thought of nominating a group or a volunteer for and award, so that their selfless work is recognised in the wider community.

Voluntary & Community Groups

 

Queen's Award for Voluntary Service by Groups in the Community

Her Majesty The Queen announced on 30th April 2002 the creation of a new, annual Award to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee. This has now become an annual award.  

The Award recognises the vital role played by the hundreds of thousands of ‘unsung heroes’ of the voluntary and community world and emphasises the importance of continuing recognition of their work.  

The Award covers groups operating in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

The number of Awards made each year will be determined by the number and quality of nominations received. Awards are made to groups rather than to individuals.

It's easy to nominate!

Guardian Charity Awards

The annual Guardian Charity Awards seek to recognise and encourage small and medium charities making an outstanding and valuable contribution to social welfare in the community. Do you know of a charity that deserves a pat on the back? Do you think your own charity should be rewarded for community achievement? Are you aware of achievements that could be replicated elsewhere if only they were highlighted? Five winning charities will each receive £6000. For an application form call 01727 898 146 or apply online at www.societyguardian.co.uk/charityawards. Nominations are invited annually.

The Beacon Prize

The Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust asks annually for nominations for the Beacon Prize. The Charity urges people throughout the UK to nominate individuals who have made a significant charitable contribution in giving time, money or skills to a specific cause. There are awards in five categories (Leadership, Community Builder, New Initiatives, Creative Giving and Young Philanthropist) and additional regional prizes. The overall prize-winner will receive £30,000 to donate to the charity of their choice.

If you'd like to nominate someone for the Beacon Prize, please visit www.beaconfellowship.org.uk for a nomination form. Alternatively, you can email enquiries@beaconfellowship.org.uk or telephone 020 7203 8291.

The Charity Awards

The Charity Awards are a unique programme designed to recognise and celebrate excellence in leadership and management of charities.

Open to charities throughout the UK, the Charity Awards highlights charities achievements and draw attention to the talent and expertise being brought to bear on voluntary activity in the UK.

The Charity Awards are decided by an independent panel of judges, all highly respected for their expertise in charities and management. The judges will be looking for examples of excellence which will inspire others and from which other organisations can learn.

Entry to the Charity Awards is free and nominations are welcome from charities of all size. Fore more information or to download a form, please visit: www.charityawards.co.uk or contact: The Charity Awards, 3 Rectory Grove, London, SW4 0SX. Tel: 020 7819 1200. E-mail: info@charityawards.co.uk

 

Individual Volunteers

 

CBE, MBE or OBE

Do you know of someone who is deserving of a CBE, MBE or OBE? Well why not nominate them now!

In the United Kingdom, honours are awarded twice a year, in June and at the New Year; about 1,500 awards each time. Most are made in the Order of the British Empire with some 15% at the highest levels (CBE and above). By far the largest number of awards goes to those providing services to their local communities, mainly volunteers. Individuals may be nominated for an honour by anyone, and we encourage neighbours, work colleagues etc to put forward those they admire for their achievements. (Self-nominations are rare, and will not succeed without independent validation.) Nominations must be made on the form designed for this purpose. Recipients are invited to attend an Investiture at Buckingham Palace or other regional locations to receive their award from The Queen or other senior members of the Royal Family.

Making a nomination could not be easier, with further information and nomination forms available from:

The Ceremonial Secretariat
Cabinet Office
35 Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BQ

Tel. No.: 020 7276 2777 Fax No.: 020 7276 2766
Email: ceremonial@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
or via www.honours.gov.uk

Candidates may be nominated by anyone - neighbours, colleagues, friends put forward those whose achievements they admire. Nominees do not always get through at a first attempt. They may fail at the first hurdle if their achievements are not clear, or simply are listed as positions held over the years. Even if that does not apply it sometimes takes more than one round for an individual to be successful.

You may not know everything that is necessary for a citation form. It is reasonable to ask other people for additional information about the candidate. However all enquiries should be made in strict confidence - do not consult the nominee.

Bedfordshire Youth Volunteering Certificate

Do you work with young people, aged 13–25, who give up their free time to volunteer? Do you know about the Youth Volunteering Certificate?

A Youth Volunteering Certificate, designed by young people for young people, as an acknowledgement for the valuable work young volunteers undertake, is now available. The certificate, which is FREE of charge for organisations to present to their young volunteers, has been produced in partnership with Mid Beds District Council, Bedford Borough Council, Youth Action Bedfordshire, Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, Pilgrims Housing Association and Bedford Volunteer Bureau. Universities accept volunteering experience as a valuable skill and 75% of employers now look for volunteer experience on CVs. Young people can use the Youth Volunteering Certificate as evidence of their involvement, as well as a reminder of what skills have been developed through volunteering.

For more information or to order certificates, please contact Richard Denton of the Youth Volunteering Certificate Group on 01234 221929 or email rdenton@bedford.gov.uk

 

Recognise Voluntary Groups & Volunteers in Mid & North Beds with an award!
 

 


Community and Voluntary Service, 43 Bromham Road, Bedford, MK40 2AA
Tel: 01234 354366  Fax: 01234 347503  Email: info@yourcvs.org
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