Derry's Cathedral Youth Club receives The King’s Award for Voluntary Service
The King's Award is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE
A group of volunteers based in Derry's Cathedral Youth Club have been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2024.
This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
Cathedral Youth Club is a community organisation based in the Fountain area that provides a range of programmes and initiatives for young people in the community.
The centre, first opened in 1972, has been providing a range of community activities and initiatives for over 50 years. These include Youth Diversionary initiatives, Counselling service, Education and Training programmes, Programmes for older people e.g. art classes, patchwork classes, Irish history classes, IT classes, and inter-generational programmes, Sports & Healthy Living programmes.
They also provide an Active Families programme which includes counselling, cooking, health eating and a homework club and deliver cross community/cross border community relations programmes, as well as a Community Allotment programme and Community Festivals and Celebration events.
Cathedral Youth Club is one of 281 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. Their work, along with others from across the UK, reminds us of all the ways fantastic volunteers are contributing to their local communities and working to make life better for those around them.
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities.
It was created in 2002 to celebrate the late Queen’s Golden Jubilee and, was continued following the accession of King Charles. 2024 marks the second year of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Recipients are announced annually on 14th November, The King’s Birthday. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse and include volunteer groups from across the UK, such as a mental health and wellbeing support network for veterans and their families in Yorkshire; a group preserving a historic 12th century castle in south Wales; volunteers providing English lessons for refugees in Stirling and an organisation providing a opportunities to engage in the arts for people with learning disabilities in County Fermanagh.
Representatives of Cathedral Youth Club will receive the award crystal and certificate from the Lord Lieutenant of Londonderry Ian Crowe next spring while two volunteers from Cathedral Youth Club will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May and June 2025, along with other recipients of this year’s Award.
Jeanette Warke Programmes Director and Manager said she is delighted and honoured that the group’s work has been recognised. Acknowledging the hard work and dedication of the people of the Fountain, Jeanette said this award is for everyone who has supported the Cathedral Youth Club in any way over the past 50 years.
“This award is a great honour for our club and a recognition of the hard work and dedication of the people on the ground of this community who give up their time to support us and participate in the events and programmes that we organise each year. I am over the moon that we have been acknowledged in this way. This award is for everyone involved in our Club over the past 50 years.
“I am very proud to work with so many enthusiastic people across our communities and it’s a very proud moment for us to receive a King’s Award. I know that my late husband David, who set up the Club in 1972, would be extremely proud if he was here today. The award is recognition of the hard work and commitment of our volunteers. We look forward to hosting a celebratory event to thank our volunteers in the spring of next year,” Jeanette said.