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Golden Jubilee awards to be presented to 16 groups from the East of England

Two representatives from Ipswich's Woolverstone Project will travel to Buckingham Palace today, to be presented with an award by Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh in recognition of their outstanding commitment and contribution to their local community. The group provides sailing opportunities for those with physical or mental disabilities in Ipswich.

Group leader John Dickinson, and Ronald Hollington will join representatives from 13 other groups - one from each part of the UK - to attend a presentation ceremony at Buckingham Palace today, the 50th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation.

Two hundred voluntary and community groups are winners of this new, annual Queen's Golden Jubilee Award for their voluntary work. They range from groups offering educational programmes to ethnic minorities, to one who has created and run a sensory garden for elderly and disabled people. The East of England has 16 winning groups - full listings follow below.

Announcing the winners, Home Office Minister, Lord Filkin, said:

"This new, prestigious annual award gives well-deserved recognition to some of the unsung heroes of our communities - the hundreds of thousands of voluntary groups across the UK that play such an essential role in our daily lives.

"These groups reach out and touch the lives of others, often providing them with unconditional human contact that would otherwise be missing. We owe them an enormous debt and I am very pleased that their work is being recognised in this important way during Volunteers' Week.

"Community activity such as this is a vital resource - it develops the individual, boosts local communities and enriches the nation. The Government is actively supporting the work of the voluntary sector and encouraging more people to participate in community activity.

"I hope local people will now think ahead to next year and give groups that are making a difference the recognition they deserve by nominating them for the 2004 Awards."

The Queen's Golden Jubilee Award recognises the achievement of groups who volunteer their own time to improve the quality of life and opportunities for others in their community.

Caroline Bowdler, Regional Director of the Government Office for the East of England, who chaired the local selection panel which considered the nominations, said:

"I am so pleased that 16 of our groups have been successful in winning this prestigious award. The local selection panel faced a very difficult task with fierce competition among the 108 nominations we received.

"The number and variety of organisations across the East of England that came forward over this period, show the extraordinary talents and dedication of people in communities across the region - and they should all be very proud of their achievements.

"I hope that these achievements will increase the interest in these very worthwhile awards, and encourage more people to take an active role in helping within local communities and supporting the excellent work of volunteers in the region."

Nomination forms for the 2004 Awards are available from today and must be returned by 15 September 2003.

More info: Further details about the scheme or interviews with Caroline Bowdler, Regional Director of GO-East, are available through GNN EAST. Please contact Rebecca Britton or Trudi Howe on 01223 372 793 / 5.

Posted: 2nd Jun 2003