SHEPPEY MATTERS RECEIVES THE QUEEN’S AWARD FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE – THE MBE FOR GROUPS

Sheppey Matters received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service at a presentation held in the Sheppey Healthy Living Centre on Tuesday 15 November.

The award was presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, the Lady Colgrain, who was accompanied by Deputy Lieutenant Tim Bull, who read out the citation to the group of volunteers and staff assembled for the event in the Abbey room.

The certificate was one of the last to be signed by Her Majesty before her death in September. The citation read ‘supporting well-being, reducing loneliness and isolation and creating opportunity in Sheppey’.

The certificate and crystal were received by Mr Michael Brown, the chair of board of trustees, along with a volunteer representing each of the charity’s projects.

The Lord Lieutenant of Kent, the Lady Colgrain, said in her speech “As His Majesty’s representative in our County, I am absolutely thrilled to be with you today to present Sheppey Matters with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – the MBE of volunteering. Tributes to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth recognised her lifetime of service to her country. Leading by example, she placed the highest importance on recognising the incredible work organisations like yours do in the community, and His Majesty The King continues to do so.  On His Majesty’s behalf, I bring heartfelt congratulations and thanks.

This prestigious national award recognises the dedication and effort of public-spirited volunteers like you who make time and contribute so much to help their local communities. You are the backbone of these communities and are utterly inspirational.

Sheppey Matters is an outstanding example of a community charity.  It exhibits excellence in its ability to respond to need from its community and adapt to provide services to meet those needs. Sheppey Matters is always open and responsive, ready to listen to local people and their ideas for the community.

The volunteers at Sheppey Matters are passionate and committed and volunteering gives them opportunities in training, social rehabilitation and engagement, as well as building confidence and self-esteem.  Sheppey Matters recognises the value that every individual can bring to make positive change in the Isle of Sheppey. The breadth of activity which Sheppey Matters engages shows an organisation which is never afraid to expand and innovate. It is thanks to the exceptional volunteers that they are able to maintain such activity.

Thank you to you all for unstintingly giving your time and talents to make this wonderful voluntary group such a success.  I am sure you all obtain a great deal of satisfaction from doing what you do, we are extremely fortunate to have you volunteering in this way in the County.     

I congratulate and thank each and every one of you involved in this remarkable accomplishment – your passion and dedication is clear to see and I know that Sheppey Matters will continue to flourish for many years to come”.

The volunteers enjoyed refreshments in the Waterfront room and took the opportunity to speak to the lord lieutenant and deputy lieutenant.

“We are extremely proud to have received this award” said Nigel Martin, chief executive officer of the charity. “It is the highest recognition of the work and dedication of our volunteers, who currently number 73. The charity was grown over the last five years, delivering a raft of innovative, fun, and challenging health and wellbeing programmes covering loneliness and isolation, youth work, community transport, community radio, wellbeing sessions, as well as other much needed events including free school uniform, overcoats, toys and arts packs, men’s mental health wellbeing and free meals each week. I would also like to congratulate the Sheppey Sea Cadets for receiving this award – another feather in the voluntary and community hat for Sheppey.

The charity has also been awarded the Princess Royal Training Award for work undertaken in its community radio station Sheppey FM 92.2. Representatives from the radio station will shortly be travelling to London to receive the award – a tremendous success for a small local charity as other winners are large national and international companies.

Sheppey Matters delivers health and wellbeing projects from the healthy living centre in Sheerness, as well as other venues in Sheerness, Eastchurch and Minster, supported by a small fleet of minibuses and a food truck. The healthy living centre supports over 20 local groups and agencies to deliver their services to the community.