Unsung Heroes
Starmaker were delighted to be honoured with this award in 2004, in recognition of the ‘unsung heroes’ who ensure the smooth running of the company.
We were nominated for the award by Ivor Snape who is the father of one of our founder members, and who continues to support Starmaker to this day. Click here to read Ivor’s nomination.
Background
Her Majesty The Queen announced on 30th April 2002 the creation of a new, annual Award to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee.
The Award recognises the vital role played by the hundreds of thousands of ‘unsung heroes’ of the voluntary and community world and emphasises the importance of continuing recognition of their work.
The Award covers groups operating in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
The number of Awards made each year is determined by the number and quality of nominations received. Awards are made to groups rather than to individuals.
Who’s Eligible?
You can nominate a group (two or more persons) for the Award if:
- it is providing a high quality service to benefit individuals or groups in the community;
- it is operating and providing a service in the United Kingdom;
- it has been operating for a minimum of 3 years (exceptions may be made for short-term projects); and
- it is made up entirely of volunteers (including trustees), or it includes some paid staff, but they must be in the minority of those involved.
A group solely involved in fundraising activities for charitable purposes e.g. street collections, jumble sales or charity shops, is not eligible unless it is also providing a service to the community. Examples of services are concerts, fêtes and hospital café facilities. Groups operating outside the United Kingdom are not eligible.
Selection
Nominations are assessed locally in each region of England, nationally in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and locally in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. The process includes verification checks on the group and its work.
A Local Selection Panel short-lists nominations for its area. The Panel is chaired by a Director in the Regional Government Offices, a senior official in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by the Lieutenant-Governor in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
Short-listed nominations are then passed to The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award Committee for final selection and recommendation to The Queen.
The Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office, John Gieve, chairs the Committee which, for 2005, comprises:
Lord Amir Bhatia, Chair of the Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations.
Graham Benfield, Chief Executive of Wales Council for Voluntary Action
Sheila Blair, Chair of the British Council of Disabled People.
Sylvia Brown, Director of Action for Communities in Rural England
Dr Justin Davis-Smith, Deputy Chief Executive of Volunteering England
Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.
Lesley Greenaway, Deputy Chief Executive of Volunteer Development Scotland.
Dr Kevin McCoy, Northern Ireland representative
In making its final recommendations, the Committee compares the relative merits of groups across the UK, bearing in mind its terms of reference which require it to ensure that “there is a reasonable balance across the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man as a whole in terms of the quality and consistency of nominations, the types of group rewarded, and location.”
- meet a particular need;
- provide community-focused voluntary activities of a very high quality;
- have generated a high level of goodwill and respect amongst those they serve and the community as a whole;
- have evolved locally and are locally run; and
- have a proven track record of active involvement in the community, normally over a period of three years or more for the social, economic or environmental wellbeing of local individuals or groups.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is this Award?
This new Award, which is similar to The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, recognises the vital role played by the hundreds of thousands of voluntary groups in the community. Its announcement in 2002 marked the occasion of The Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
2. How long will the scheme last?
This is an annual Award that will be a lasting legacy of the Golden Jubilee.
3. What is it being given for?
The Award recognises outstanding achievement by groups of two or more people in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man who volunteer their own time to enhance and improve the quality of life and opportunity for individuals or other groups in the community.
4. What are the criteria?
A successful group will have demonstrated that it:
- meets a particular need;
- provides community-focused voluntary activities of a very high quality;
- has generated a high level of goodwill and respect amongst those it serves and the community as a whole;
- has evolved locally and is locally run; and
- has a proven track record of active involvement in the community, normally over a period of three years or more, for the social, economic or environmental wellbeing of local individuals or groups.
5. Who is eligible?
A group (two or more persons) may be nominated for the Award if:
- it is providing a high quality service to benefit individuals or groups in the community;
- it is operating and providing a service in the United Kingdom;
- it has been operating for a minimum of 3 years (exceptions may be made for short-term projects); and
- it is made up entirely of volunteers (including trustees), or it includes some paid staff, but they must be in the minority of those involved.
6. Will groups operating abroad be eligible?
No. This is an Award for those working in the UK. Those working abroad are more appropriately recognised under the Honours system.
7. What about charities?
Many small organisations and groups are registered as charities, and there are groups of volunteers working under the auspices of larger charities. All of these are eligible, provided they are not simply fund-raisers. In other words, groups must also provide a service to the community in addition to their fundraising activities. Example of services are concerts, fêtes and hospital café facilities.
8. What about the contribution made by individuals?
Their invaluable contribution can be recognised through the Honours system.
9. Can you give examples of the sort of group that will be eligible?
There are dozens of possibilities, but some examples are groups that:
- improve the local environment;
- contribute to crime prevention and community safety;
- run community centres and village halls, youth clubs or community-based sport clubs;
- provide facilities for children (eg holiday playschemes or after-school clubs);
- support those involved in drugs and alcohol misuse;
- provide support or special facilities for groups such as elderly or disabled people;
- support victims of crime;
- work with families, particularly those facing hardship;
- address the specific needs of black and minority ethnic communities; or
- run self-help groups, eg for the families of sufferers of rare diseases.
10. How many Awards will be given each year?
This will depend on the number and quality of the nominations received.
11. Why were 200 given for 2003?
To mark the first year of this special Award and to:
- acknowledge the diversity of voluntary groups;
- recognise those that are making an outstanding contribution; and
- get a meaningful spread of Awards across the UK by area and type of group.
12. What will the winners get?
A certificate signed by The Queen and a commemorative piece of crystal for display at the group’s main place of operation. The Awards will be presented on behalf of The Queen by the Lord-Lieutenant for the county in which the group works.
13. What will the award and certificate look like?
14. For how long will groups hold the Award?
For as long as they continue to function. The Award is linked to the year in which it is won (eg ‘The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service … 2003’) with winning groups being able to use that title, for example on their letterheads, if they have them.
15. When are the winners announced?
The Awards are announced on 2nd June each year (the anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation). The next round of Awards is launched simultaneously.
