Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Awards Presentation 2020

• Community Education in Death Awareness & Resources (CEDAR). CEDAR runs a youth programme called Life Lessons, working in a classroom/group setting, teaching young people how to talk about death, dying and loss in healthy ways among their peer group. Both bereaved and non-bereaved young people work together to reduce social isolation and build community resilience.
• Foodbank PLUS (Barnabas Community Projects). Supporting individuals and the community, Foodbank PLUS supports those in crisis and also empowers people to develop skills, build relationships and most importantly recognise their own value, and contribution they make to our community. Foodbank PLUS is compassionate and speaks on behalf of those without a voice.
• Friends of Telford Town Park. This group promotes and actively participates in the maintenance and improvement of the Telford Town Park for the benefit of both the local community and its many visitors. Excellence is underpinned by the commitment and dedication of volunteers of all ages and varied backgrounds, who continuously work to improve the Town Park.
• Newport and District Agricultural Society. The Society’s objectives are to promote agriculture, the environment, and the rural community. It achieves this by organising the Newport Show (110 times now) which showcases the best of British agriculture. It runs educational workshops and delivers highly valued community educational services. 
• The Shrewsbury Ark. The Shrewsbury Ark offers a drop-in centre for homeless and vulnerable people, a unique facility in Shropshire providing support to those who may feel left behind by society, or who fall between the gaps in other welfare support arrangements.

QAVS groups are normally presented their awards individually by the Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, Mrs Anna Turner. COVID disrupted our planning this year, however, and saw us seize a generous offer from the Cavalier Centre to use its riding school – in which the Lieutenancy Team was able to organise a wonderful celebration in an appropriately socially-distanced manner!

At the event, on July 27^th, Mrs Turner presented a Crystal and a Certificate to each of the winning groups. Her speech reiterated the benefit Shropshire receives – and the great pride its folk can take – in our County’s voluntary sector. Shropshire is lucky to have as many organisations and volunteers as it does, working selflessly for the benefit of others. Mrs Turner noted, too, the work of other groups whose efforts provide vital support at grass roots level throughout our County.