Last call for nominations for Queen’s prestigious volunteering group award

The deadline for nominations for the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2009, "the National Honour equivalent to an MBE", is 10 October.

The Award recognises the outstanding contributions made to local communities by groups that devote their time voluntarily for the benefit of others. More than 600 groups have already been recognised since the Award was created to mark the occasion of Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee in 2002.

The Office of the Third Sector is seeking to build on this and is encouraging new nominations for voluntary groups, including those involved with youth, minority and rural communities.

Groups must be nominated for the Award: you can not nominate yourself or your own organisation. You can nominate a group (two or more people) if it is based in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Seventy nine volunteering groups from across the UK were selected for the 2008 Award in June from over 379 groups nominated by members of the public.

www.queensawardvoluntary.gov.uk