Fareham charity is honoured with Queen's Award for Voluntary Service

Workers at One Community are gearing up to accept the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Since the 1970s, the independent organisation has provided support for the voluntary and community sectors in Fareham and Eastleigh – offering transport, advice and young carers and home services.

And following a rigorous process of assessment and selection, One Community bosses discovered on Saturday, June 2 they had been hand-picked to receive to honour.

As the award marks the charity’s 40th anniversary, Sri Kandiah, who chairs One Community, said: ‘We are deeply honoured to receive this prestigious award in recognition of One Community’s work.

‘Voluntary service lies at the heart of all we do, and our many services that support local people depend on the efforts of our 170 volunteers.’

One Community’s claiming of the Queen’s Award falls in the middle of Volunteers’ Week – an initiative created to celebrate communities of volunteers across the country.

Chief executive of One Community, Jean Roberts-Jones said she was ‘thrilled’ for her team.

She said: ‘I am immensely proud of my team at One Community, staff and volunteers, all of whom give above and beyond what is expected of them because they care passionately about the communities they serve.

‘I am thrilled for them to receive this recognition and grateful to all those concerned who have made this possible.’

In order to receive the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, an organisation must be nominated by someone from the outside – with the support of two additional letters.

In the case of One Community, this backing was received from a civic leader and a beneficiary of one of the charity’s services.

Once this nomination is received, assessment panels look at entries and decide which to send to the National Award Committee.

The committee then makes recommendations to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which sends a final list to Her Majesty the Queen for approval.