The King's Award for Voluntary Service

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Overview

Following the Accession of King Charles III, The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service will now become The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS). More information regarding the Award, timeline, and changes to the process will be updated on their website in due course. Read the full press release here.

The following information refers to the QAVS and will be updated to reflect the KAVS when information becomes available.

The King's Award for Voluntary Service is for exceptional groups of volunteers who are making a positive impact in their community and benefiting others through their work. They are looking for volunteers who have taken the initiative to create, lead and drive forward the work of their organisation and are doing this in a way that is truly distinctive and excellent.

They look at evidence of the need for the group's activity and the impact it has had in addressing this need. They also look for evidence that the volunteer activity is exceptional and that volunteers are initiating and determining the group's work. It is important to note that the award is specifically aimed at the volunteers, even if there are paid staff in the group.

A nominated group should be operating at a high level, with an excellent reputation in their community. It should have high standards of governance, relevant insurance and satisfy any requirements to safeguard children and adults at risk.

Eligibility

The group cannot nominate themselves, they must be nominated by someone else.

The nominator must:

be a member of the public with a good knowledge of the group’s work (such as a beneficiary or long-term supporter)
be able to supply two separate letters of support from two additional people who know the group well

The nominator must not:

be a volunteer, employee or trustee of the group, or in any way involved with the running of the organisation

They need to ensure that nominators are independent, and members of the group cannot nominate themselves. This is very important, as KAVS is a national Honour.

Group eligibility criteria

KAVS awards are intended for groups that are led by volunteers and provide a benefit for local communities.

The group must:

be made up of three or more people
be based in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
have been in operation for at least three years before nomination
have over half its volunteers eligible to reside in the UK
be led by volunteers, not by paid staff; over half its members should be volunteers
provide a specific and direct benefit to the local community

The group must not:

have been nominated for a QAVS/KAVS* award in the past 3 years
have already received a QAVS/KAVS* award
operate as a national organisation, as QAVS/KAVS* is aimed at local volunteer groups
have fundraising or grant making as its primary focus
be based within or in support of a public service, unless they have a separate identity from the public service organisation
operate solely for the benefit of animals, unless it can demonstrate that its work provides significant other benefits to the local community (for example, therapy pets)

*QAVS changed its title to become KAVS (The King’s Award for Voluntary Service) in 2023

Additional Guidance:

Specific and direct local benefit

Groups must provide direct benefits to a community through their work, for example, directly supporting disabled people. Groups will be considered ineligible where their sole purpose is to support one or more other groups that provide these direct benefits. This is why fundraising and grant-giving organisations are specifically excluded as listed above.

Please note, groups that raise funds might be considered if their activities have a significant beneficial impact on the wider community beyond fundraising (for example, by hosting a major event or providing a significant local service).

National organisations

A group can be nominated if it is a branch of, or affiliated to, a larger regional or national organisation. However, it will be expected to have initiated and developed a distinctive approach locally and be able to show a high degree of autonomy and self-determination (for example, a local scout group).

Groups supporting a public service

Groups based within or in support of a public service (such as a hospital, police force or school) are eligible, but you will need to be able to demonstrate that:

the group has a separate identity from the statutory organisation and is clearly under the leadership of volunteers, rather than simply following instructions from paid staff in the organisation
the group is an established, long-term volunteer group with its own unique identity and a governance structure, rather than being part of a wider scheme or a school-led volunteering initiative

Nominating

The first step of making a nomination is to set up a nominator account. This is so they have a record of who is making the nomination and can get in touch.

You can then complete the nomination form and submit the two letters of support.

Letters of support

Nominators must submit two separate letters of support from two additional people who know the organisation well.

Letters must not be written by a volunteer, employee, trustee or anyone involved with the running of the group. Letters from patrons, for example, supporter or funder, are acceptable, as long as they have no involvement with the management and operation of the group.

The letters play a very important part in the assessment process. They are looking for letters that bring the work and impact of the group to life, so a letter from someone who knows their work well (for example, a beneficiary) would be ideal.

Writers should provide factual detail to support their message of endorsement, as this provides extra evidence for assessors.

These letters should state the following:

The impact of the group on the local community
What the volunteers in the group do and why they are special
The relationship of the supporter to the group, including the reason for the endorsement

Only two letters can be submitted. Each should be from a different individual.