The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
We all know that Mortimer is the best place in the world – it’s why many of us feel it is worth doing lots of voluntary work to enhance it further. But it is very special to have that work acknowledged by the outside world, in particular by Her Majesty The Queen.
Last year Mortimer Village Partnership was nominated by West Berkshire Council and the Community Council for Berkshire for The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for voluntary groups. As you can imagine we were over the moon to be even nominated. CCB contacted us for some details about our activities for their nomination and they requested letters of support from people and groups who have benefitted from what MVP does. Later we heard that the nomination had been accepted and we were interviewed by two Deputy Lieutenants of Berkshire representing the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. They wrote further reports on what we do and this was sent in to a national review. We knew that 22 groups in Berkshire had nominations accepted and received a certificate from the Lord Lieutenant at a ceremony congratulating us on this in March. It was not expected that more than a small handful of those nominated would receive the award.
And then very recently we learned that we have been awarded this honour. On the 3rd June two of our committee members will attend a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace which is one of the results of the award. We will later receive our actual award (a certificate signed by The Queen and a special engraved crystal like this one); we are now entitled to use the logo in all our publications.
Last year Mortimer Village Partnership was nominated by West Berkshire Council and the Community Council for Berkshire for The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for voluntary groups. As you can imagine we were over the moon to be even nominated. CCB contacted us for some details about our activities for their nomination and they requested letters of support from people and groups who have benefitted from what MVP does. Later we heard that the nomination had been accepted and we were interviewed by two Deputy Lieutenants of Berkshire representing the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. They wrote further reports on what we do and this was sent in to a national review. We knew that 22 groups in Berkshire had nominations accepted and received a certificate from the Lord Lieutenant at a ceremony congratulating us on this in March. It was not expected that more than a small handful of those nominated would receive the award.
And then very recently we learned that we have been awarded this honour. On the 3rd June two of our committee members will attend a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace which is one of the results of the award. We will later receive our actual award (a certificate signed by The Queen and a special engraved crystal like this one); we are now entitled to use the logo in all our publications.
I need to say that this award has been given as a result of the work of all those who have volunteered for any of the activities that MVP organise: yes, all the committee who work with me, many giving a great deal of time to the village, but also those who serve at the Lunch Club, pick up litter at the Spring Clean, sell refreshments at the pantomime, put up tents and clean toilets at the Fun Day, deliver newsletters, administer our Facebook page, collect Bag2School bags from pavements, organise the Sports Weekend, maintain our website, local businesses that offer sponsorship and practical help, and many, many more. It was the range and number of volunteers, all in different ways serving the good of the village, which impressed the very serious judging panel that decided the award. We all do this because it is good for our community but it is wonderful to have that recognised; we all enjoy praise:
Danusia Morsley - MVP Chairman