Frensham Pond Sailability wins coveted award
by Michael Buttler 5 Jun 2016 11:33 BST
5 June 2016
Frensham Pond Sailability has been honoured with the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. Frensham Pond Sailability provides real sailing opportunities for people with disabilities or long-term illnesses.
Mark Greenwood and Ivor Barrett from Frensham Pond Sailability attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace on Thursday 19 May where they met Her Majesty, The Queen and other winners of this year's award.
Frensham Pond Sailability is one of 193 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of awards given to groups this year is slightly higher than last year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to tackle community challenges.
The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities. The awards were created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee and winners are announced each year on 2 June – the anniversary of the Queen's Coronation.
Award winners this year range from a War Memorial Community Trust, providing social facilities for the benefit of the community in Clwyd, Wales, to a club enhancing the community by developing individuals through athletics, in Ayrshire and Arran, Scotland.
Frensham Pond Sailability will receive the award from the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey later this summer.
The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service Committee Chair, former broadcast journalist Sir Martyn Lewis said:
"I warmly congratulate all of the inspirational voluntary groups who have been rewarded for their community work with a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. The judging panel for this year's awards were struck by the quality and breadth of all the successful groups.
The thousands of volunteers who give up spare time to help others in their community and to help solve problems demonstrate the very best of democracy in action."
Minister for Civil Society, Rob Wilson, said:
"I would like to congratulate all groups who received this year's Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, in recognition of their fantastic achievements. The huge amount of work and commitment these organisations put into their local communities is surpassed only by the passion and motivation of the individuals who volunteer. I hope these groups continue to inspire others to get involved and make a positive impact so that we can continue to build a more compassionate society."
Brian Grimwood, acting Chair of Frensham Pond Sailability, said he was delighted with the Award. It reflected the hard work, commitment and enthusiasm of literally hundreds of regular volunteer helpers over 15 years since Sailability was 'launched' in September 2001.
For more information about Frensham Pond Sailability, see the website, www.sailfrensham.org.uk/index.php/sailability/welcome-to-sailability