Queen's Award for Newbury volunteers

Clay Hill Residents' Association receives highest volunteering award

A GROUP of volunteers in West Berkshire has seen its efforts rewarded by the Queen.

The Clay Hill Residents’ Association has been recognised with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in her 90th birthday year.

The residents’ association puts on a variety of events for the local community such as children’s activity days during school holidays. It has also run the Riverside Community Centre on behalf of West Berkshire Council for the past five years.

A variety of organisations use the community centre, such as Singing for Brain, the Stroke Association, Riverside Toddlers and the YMCA.

The chairman of the Clay Hill Residents’ Association, Grahame Farquhar, said: “On behalf of all the volunteers who help and assist CHRA in its efforts within the community, we are all extremely honoured and proud to have received this award from Her Majesty The Queen.”

Association members Chris and Pam Lusby Taylor attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace on May 24 where they met the Queen and other winners of this year’s award. The association is one of 193 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the award this year.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities. The awards were created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and winners are announced each year on June 2, the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.

The association will receive the award from the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, James Puxley, later this year.

The minister for Civil Society, Rob Wilson, said: “I would like to congratulate all groups who received this year’s Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, in recognition of their fantastic achievements.”