The award aims to honour volunteers working in groups of two or more within their local community.

At least half of the group must be volunteers with the right to live in the United Kingdom, and the organisation must have been operating successfully for at least three years.

It is important that the volunteer group is locally run and respected, providing a necessary service within the local community.

The award recognises a wide range of volunteer activities that bring something to their community, such as cafes to help combat isolation in the elderly, clubs that teach young people new skills, organisations that preserve local heritage, or clubs that support families coping with illness.

Group eligibility criteria

KAVS awards are intended for groups that are led by volunteers and provide a benefit for local communities.

The group must:

• be made up of three or more people
• be based in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
• have been in operation for at least three years before nomination
• have over half its volunteers eligible to reside in the UK
• be led by volunteers, not by paid staff; over half its members should be volunteers
• provide a specific and direct benefit to the local community

The group must not:

• have been nominated for a QAVS/KAVS* award in the past 3 years
• have already received a QAVS/KAVS* award
• operate as a national organisation, as QAVS/KAVS* is aimed at local volunteer groups
• have fundraising or grant making as its primary focus
• be based within or in support of a public service, unless they have a separate identity from the public service organisation
• operate solely for the benefit of animals, unless it can demonstrate that its work provides significant other benefits to the local community (for example, therapy pets