Avon Scouts receive prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

As part of Her Late Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, Avon Scouts was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award given to UK volunteer groups, being the equivalent of an MBE.

Avon Scouts achieved this prestigious award in recognition of the impact that its 3,800 fantastic volunteers contribute to their local communities, working to make life better for those around them through their support of the 12,000 young people aged 4 to 25 in the Avon Scouts area.

The award was presented at a celebration evening on Thursday 9 February 2023. Representatives of Avon Scouts came together to receive the award from the Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, Mrs Peaches Golding OBE on behalf of Her late Majesty the Queen and His Majesty the King.

The award recognises the amazing activities and experiences Avon Scouts offer young people to help them develop skills for life and also includes:

• Creating high quality local youth provision in targeted, hard to reach local communities helping to create stronger communities and inspiring positive futures
• Working alongside the Muslim community in Bristol to establish a Muslim Scout Group
• Partnering with the Great Western Air Ambulance through a series of fun and informative activities giving young people opportunities to learn about helping in a medical emergency, aviation experiments and earning a Scouting Challenge Badge.
• A Scout Group based at the Children’s Hospital in central Bristol which in 2022 celebrated 20 years of Scouting at the hospital.

Clive Sandrey, County Commissioner of Avon Scouts, said:

“We are delighted to have been recognised in such a way, especially at the time of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. I am so proud of all our volunteers across Avon who work so hard every week to ensure young people across the area are offered such a huge variety of activities. Being a volunteer is so rewarding in its own right but receiving the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is just the icing on the cake.”