Colchester Foodbank – of which Brightlingsea’s foodbank is a subsidiary – has received a Kings Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) – the highest national award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.
The organisation, which manages 11 foodbanks in the Colchester area, is one of ten groups from across the county and 262 nationwide to have been honoured with the awards, originally created by Queen Elizabeth in 2002.
This award is given to volunteer groups to recognise exceptional service within their communities and are considered to be the equivalent of an MBE for voluntary groups.
Colchester Foodbank is one of the largest in the region, but it delivers more than food. It provides short-term emergency support to people in crisis by signposting those in need to other support networks and organisations.
Michael Beckett, the CEO of Colchester Foodbank, said: “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award recognising the hard work, dedication, creativity, and gifted service of our 300 volunteers who weave a safety net beneath the most vulnerable in society and change the narrative of us and them together.
“This award honours our work to provide food and more services to meet needs at our centres in Brightlingsea, central Colchester, Greenstead, Highwoods, Monkwick, Newtown, Myland, Rowhedge, Stanway, Tiptree and Wivenhoe, and tell our story so people keep on helping.”
The ten Essex winners will receive their award from Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, Lord Lieutenant of Essex, at a local ceremony in the New Year, celebrating their success with their volunteers, staff and many who have received their services.
“The announcement of ten winners of the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service across Essex, the highest national award for voluntary groups, is a wonderful tribute to the outstanding work of the voluntary sector,” said Mrs Tolhurst.
She added: “The number of awards won across Essex is the highest number for any non-metropolitan county in the country and the highest number ever achieved in Essex in one year. This achievement speaks volumes for the excellence of volunteering in our county and the increasing importance of volunteers for community wellbeing.
Representatives of the winning groups receive the KAVS Award Crystal, and a certificate signed by King Charles. Two volunteers from the winning groups are invited to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in the summer of the following year, along with other recipients of this award from across the country.
