A King's Award for Voluntary Service Webinar for Kent's Incredible Volunteer Groups

Charities and voluntary groups across Kent are being invited to a special webinar to receive expert guidance on applying for The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS), the highest national honour for volunteer groups in the UK

The online event, co-hosted by Kent Community Foundation, the Kent Lieutenancy Office, Ashford Volunteer Centre,  and Kent Volunteers will take place on Monday, 15th September at 10.30am. The hour-long webinar is designed to help organisations understand the application process and maximise their chances of success.

The webinar will feature a panel of distinguished speakers, including Sir Martyn Lewis CBE, television news presenter and Chair of the KAVS, and Paul Auston, the Lead Deputy Lieutenant for KAVS in Kent. They will be joined by Suzanne Campbell, Manager of the Abbey Physic Community Garden, who will share her first-hand experience of winning the award in 2024.

Often described as the “MBE for volunteer groups,” The King’s Award for Voluntary Service celebrates outstanding work by local volunteer-led organisations that benefit their communities. The Abbey Physic Community Garden, based in Faversham, is a shining example of this, having supported people with mental and physical health issues for over 25 years. The garden has received over £950,000 in funding from Kent Community Foundation since 2007.

Suzanne Campbell said: "Receiving The King’s Award for Voluntary Service was a truly humbling and proud moment for everyone involved with the garden. It has shone a spotlight on the incredible dedication of our volunteers, who give their time and energy to support others and nurture our community space. The award has brought a real sense of pride and encouragement, showing our volunteers just how valued they are."

Catherine Glover, Chief Executive of Kent Community Foundation, commented: "Kent has an incredible network of charities and volunteer-led organisations making a huge difference to their communities. We are delighted to co-host this webinar to offer advice about how to navigate the King’s Award application process and help local groups showcase their invaluable work."

Paul Auston added: "Volunteers are at the heart of many of Kent’s strongest and most inspiring community projects. The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is a wonderful way to formally recognise their dedication and achievements. I’m very pleased that Kent Community Foundation and the Ashford Volunteer Centre are hosting this webinar with the Lieutenancy to help more local groups apply for this prestigious honour."

To secure a place on the webinar, please visit: bit.ly/KAVS-webinar.