Celebrations held after community association in Halesowen handed Queen's Award for Voluntary Service

The Halesowen/Dudley Yemeni Community Association was handed the accolade, the highest award a voluntary group can receive, during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

And it held an event at its base in Highfield Lane in Halesowen which featured Dr Yassin Saeed Noman, the ambassador of Yemen to the United Kingdom.

Other attendees included the Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Sue Greenaway, as well as Dr Mohammed Hussain from the West Midlands Lieutenancy office.

And they were joined by hundreds of Yemeni community members including families and children from Halesowen, the wider region, and across the UK.

The management committee also presented a special award to founding member Yasser Fayed Ali Saleh for his work in growing the community association. The award was received by his son Hamid Saleh.

A spokesman for the committee, who praised volunteers in organising the event on July 17, said: "The Queens Award is a testament to the incredible work of our volunteers who are the solid foundations of our success.

"We recognise that this award is not given to organisations lightly and it’s a recognition of excellence of the service we provide to the community. We are honoured and humbled to receive such a prestigious award. We will always be passionate and dedicated to provide the necessary service to meet the needs and demands of the local community."

The association offers Arabic language classes, English for speakers of other languages, bereavement support and mediation. It also offers awareness sessions around drugs, racism and bullying among other topics, guidance to members of the community and support for asylum seekers and refugees.