West Sussex Mediation Service (WSMS) may never have achieved the dizzy heights of being a Gatwick Diamond Business Award winner, but they feel hugely honoured to be bestowed the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service (2019) which was officially announced in a special edition of the London Gazette on 2nd June.
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.
WSMS were nominated by a leading member of the Horsham community and supported by two testimonial letters from supporters of the charity.
Nick Handley the Service Co-ordinator said, "We had been notified some weeks ahead of the official announcement, so we were itching to tell the world about it. The prestigious award recognises exceptional work done by volunteer groups. I can say that we have some exceptional people volunteering with us who give up countless hours of their own time for the good of the community of West Sussex."
A signed certificate from Her Majesty The Queen is presented locally by the Lord Lieutenant for West Sussex together with a crystal award with the logo insignia. It also affords permission to use the official QAVS Logo on the recipient's publications and website.
WSMS is a Horsham based registered charity which has been in existence since 2000. They provide a full range of mediation services using fully trained volunteer mediators.