Southall Community Alliance Receives The Queen's Award
Highest honour that can be given to a voluntary group in the UK
Some of the members of the Southall Community Alliance. Picture: Facebook
Southall Community Alliance, a community organisation based in Southall, has been awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
Southall Community Alliance was established as a registered charity in 2000 and is based at Southall Town Hall. It operates a community resource centre that provides meeting room, free hot desks and office support and act as a voice for Southall, arranging regular Community Forum and partnership meetings with statutory and voluntary partners. The charity says it has acted as an incubator for significant numbers of new ideas and projects in Southall over the last 20 years.
In 2020 it jointly established the successful Southall Food Hub and many of its day-to-day services are delivered in partnership with other groups at a range of Southall venues, training, befriending, luncheon clubs, exercise activities for inactive residents, volunteering and tackling the ‘digital divide’.
Southall Community Alliance is one of 244 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to benefit their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2 June, the anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation.
Award winners this year include volunteer groups from across the UK, including: a rural support group for farmers in Shropshire; a community magazine addressing isolation in the Western Isles; a running club engaging all ages in County Tyrone; a film academy and community hub based in South Wales, and a food bank in Greater London feeding vulnerable individuals and providing training opportunities.
Representatives of Southall Community Alliance will receive the award crystal and certificate from the Lord-Lieutenant of London later this summer. In addition, two volunteers from Southall Community Alliance will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2023 (depending on restrictions at the time), along with other recipients of this year’s Award.
Harsev Bains, Chair of Southall Community Alliance says, “How absolutely delighted I am that the consistent work by the charity has been recognised during the year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is a great honour and a celebration of Southall’s diverse communities. The Award significantly recognises the commitment of our magnificent volunteers and the hard-working staff team, who selflessly dedicate themselves to improve quality of lives for all in Southall.”
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June 9, 2022