Queen’s Award given to two Wokingham charities to mark her 90th birthday

TWO voluntary organisations from Wokingham Borough have been recognised for their work in the community with a Queen’s Award.

Disabled children’s charity Building for the Future (BFTF), based in Toutley Road, Wokingham, and Earley Volunteer Driver Bureau (EVDB), based in Chalfont Close, were both chosen to receive the prestigious award this year, along with 191 other charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups from across the UK.

BFTF trustees Karen Woolford and Peter Wood, and EVDB chairman Elaine Spratling and secretary Mary Blustin attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace on May 24 where they met the Queen and other winners.

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 to mark the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.
The charities will both receive their awards from the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, James Puxley, later this summer.

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Elaine said: “Earley Volunteer Driver Bureau are delighted to have been recognised with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. It is a fitting tribute to all the volunteers – drivers, office staff, committee and trustees – who have given their time over the last 34 years of the Bureau’s existence. Our thanks go to Earley Town Council for nominating us for the award.

Members of the Earley Volunteers Drivers Association helping a client

“We are one of five groups in various parts of Wokingham Borough providing a similar service and I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of all of us of appealing for drivers and office volunteers.”

Karen Woolford and Peter Wood from Building For The Future at Buckingham Palace

Jane Holmes, CEO of BFTF said: “I am absolutely delighted that our amazing charity has won such a prestigious award. We have worked so hard to create Our House and to make it a success and winning an award of this calibre has made all our efforts worthwhile.

“I would like to thank all our supporters, the families who enjoy our centre and most importantly our incredible team, without whom this simply would not have been achieved.

To find out more about the work of Building for the Future visit www.btft.org.uk, and to find out more about Earley Volunteer Driver Bureau visit http://evdb.org.uk.