Royal honour given to voluntary groups across Black Country

Community groups across the Black Country have been celebrating after being given the highest royal honour available to voluntary groups.

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Community action groups, boxing clubs, mental health charities and public health groups are among those being given the highest royal honour a voluntary group can be given.

The groups from across the Black Country have been recognised by King Charles III with a King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS), the only honour given to groups of volunteers to recognise the significant contribution they make to their community.

The West Midlands Lieutenancy said the volunteers, this year, have given their time and dedicated their lives to helping others in caring, kind, often innovative and amazing ways and have been acknowledged for this with the KAVS.

Amongst the organisations this year are three from Dudley, three from Sandwell, two covering the Black Country, three from Wolverhampton and one from Halesowen.

The Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Mr Derrick Anderson CBE, said he was delighted with the range of support and variety of groups gaining a KAVS this year.

He said: “These Awards demonstrate that our region has many wonderful people who give their precious time to help others, bringing together local communities and improving the quality of so many lives.

"I am grateful for everything they do and impressed by the initiatives and enterprises they have established.

"It is a great opportunity as part of The King’s birthday to thank them for their exemplary service.”

Dudley and Halesowen

Access In Dudley was formed by a small group of people with disabilities to campaign for better access to services, transport and buildings followed by collaboration with service providers to make improvements.

In Dudley, Access in Dudley worked to help people with disabilities to access buildings and services in the area.

The charity has been operating for 20 years and is run by volunteers with disabilities or experience with dealing with disabilities.

They have achieved greater accessibility with numerous initiatives from organising and designing gym equipment in parks, working with the Council and Travel West Midlands to redesign ticket machines, interior design, signage and securing a specialist rowing boat at Dudley Rowing Club.

Chair Tina Boothroyd said: "We are deeply humbled to receive this wonderful award.

"Our incredible small group of volunteers with a range of disabilities ably assisted by able bodied volunteers only ever wanted to improve the lives of those who have to live anything but a 'normal' life on a daily basis.

"When our Patron and former Dudley Mayor now Alderman Steve Waltho suggested we should be nominated for a Kings Award for our outstanding dedication we were quite reluctant at first.

"However we were persuaded to go through the rather stringent application process and can't believe we've been successful.

"This is an absolute tribute to our amazing team over the years including those we've sadly lost along the way."

The Friends of Saltwells Nature Reserve conserve a site of national environmental importance that people can enjoy in urban Dudley, they also provide inclusive community activities.

The Friends of Saltwells Nature Reserve are local volunteers, who organise conservation work groups to preserve and improve the Nature Reserve for future generations.

The 247-acre site in the heart of Dudley is fully open to the public and runs a range of engaging nature programmes and sustained conservation activities on site.

They have recently added a Ranger and education centre and its environmental and geologist expertise is shared and valued regionally and nationally.

Chair Les Drinkwater said: “All the volunteers are enormously proud to have their hard work and dedication to Saltwells recognised in this way.