Warrington Youth Club awarded Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

OnSide Warrington Youth Club have attended the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace after being awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work done in their own communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of The Queen’s coronation. It is the MBE for volunteer groups.

Any group undertaking volunteer work that provides a social, economic or environmental service to the local community can be nominated for the award. Each group is assessed on the benefit it brings to the local community and its standing within that community.

Warrington Boys Club as it was originally known was established in 1952 after being formally opened by Princess Margaret, before moving to the Peace Centre in 2000 and its outstanding work has been rightly recognised by the Queen.

Over the past 65 years OnSide Warrington Youth Club have inspired many thousands of children and young people aged between 7 and 25, from Warrington to achieve their full potential. The organisation, whose President is the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire Mr David Briggs, M.B.E., K.St.J, supports children and young people’s personal development, offering opportunities to gain, increase and develop skills, knowledge self-awareness and confidence and enabling them to make positive and healthy life choices.

Andy Gatcliffe, Chair of Warrington Youth Club said: “We’re proud to have been awarded this prestigious honour, but we could not change lives across Warrington without the help and support from our 120-strong army of volunteers – they are the real heroes. With the recent news that we will be moving to a bigger facility in the not so distant future, our volunteer base can only grow.”

Warrington Youth Club will receive a certificate signed by the Queen and a domed glass crystal. Chief Executive Dave McNicholl commented, “ OnSide Warrington Youth Club has grown rapidly over the past 8 years allowing us to support many more children, young people and their families. Without the dedication, commitment and support of some many people who have given so much of their time, knowledge and skills we could never have achieved such an amazing accolade, this Award is very much for each of our volunteers.”