Sussex Charities Honored with King’s Voluntary Service Award

Nine charitable organizations spanning East and West Sussex have been granted The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2024. Among the groups recognized were The Storrington Area Help Scheme, Time to Talk Befriending, and Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. This accolade represents the highest honor a local voluntary organization can attain in the UK, holding a status comparable to an MBE. Alan Craig MBE, who serves as a trustee and administrator for the Storrington scheme, expressed his satisfaction, stating he was “so pleased” that the contributions of its “outstanding team” had been acknowledged. Operated by over 40 volunteers, the scheme assists local residents in West Sussex with attending healthcare appointments. Volunteers facilitate transport using their personal vehicles. The Time to Talk Befriending charity offers assistance to elderly individuals across Brighton and Hove, Adur, and Worthing, many of whom experience long-term health problems. The charity’s chief executive, Emily Kenward, commented: “It is a privilege to provide opportunities for meaningful connections across the generations.” A beneficiary of the service, Helen Mason, remarked: “The words I would use to describe my experience of Time to Talk Befriending are ‘cherish, comfort, compassion and commitment’ – the charity has shown me all of these.” Rye Harbour Nature Reserve hosts over 4,300 distinct species of plants and animals, with more than 300 classified as rare or endangered. Chris Corrigan, chief executive of Sussex Wildlife Trust, the organization managing the site, stated: “We are thrilled we have been selected for this well-earned and prestigious award.” He added, “They are an exceptional group of volunteers who have given an extraordinary amount of time over many years to the management of the reserve”. Additional recipients in West Sussex included the Chichester Community Development Trust and the Tamil Learning Centre in Crawley. In East Sussex, Havens Community Cars, Mankind Support Group, Rotherfield St Martin, and The Sanctuary in Eastbourne also received The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2024. The award originated in 2002 in commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee and formerly bore the name The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS).