King’s Award for Voluntary Service Reception 2026

On Wednesday 15^th July, The Lord-Lieutenant hosted The King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2026 Nominees reception at Loseley Park.

This year there are ten nominated groups in Surrey with five resubmitted from 2025.

Age Concern Epsom & Ewell – providing welfare, well-being, practical, and social support for older people including: information & advice on benefits, wills and moving into residential care etc., support with welfare & blue badge applications, providing social events and befriending, support with DIY, IT and social media, and the provision of medical transport.

Central Surrey Community First Responders – A team of 13 volunteers are trained by SECAMB and spend a minimum of 60 hours a quarter on call. They are sent to patients who have dialled 999 and urgently need an ambulance. They carry defibrillators, oxygen and first aid equipment. When a patient has a cardiac arrest, their rapid intervention saves lives. They support anyone in Central Surrey, including Epsom, Leatherhead, Dorking, Horsley and surrounding areas, who has a medical emergency such as a heart attack, diabetic coma, trauma, or fall and will benefit from a rapid response.

Chobham Rugby Club – Offer rugby for all, from 2.5 to 80 years old. The majority of its members are in the 2.5 to 18 years category, where children learn and foster a love of playing rugby. Alongside them are adults that play Walking, Touch and mixed ability rugby. The people that are part of Chobham Rugby Club span a 7–10-mile radius of Chobham village. There is an approximate 80/20 split with members from Surrey and Berkshire.

Citizens Advice Runnymede and Spelthorne – Provide free, confidential and impartial advice to the local community on a huge range of issues, including housing and homelessness, debt, benefits, energy bills, employment, family and health matters, cost of living crisis, food bank support, consumer, law, courts and immigration. Citizens Advice Runnymede and Spelthorne help anyone living in Runnymede or Spelthorne, with focus on those needing additional advice, help or guidance on a wide range of topics.

Papercourt Sailability – Provide inclusive and accessible sailing and boating for people with disabilities and/or additional needs. Adapted boats and volunteer buddies allow for a wide range of needs and levels of skill. This social space encourages pre-and post-sail relaxation, chat and socialisation for people with any disability and/or additional needs of any age, their carers and families, mostly from Surrey/N-Hampshire but there are no borders; most sessions attract between 30 and 60 participants.

Sunbury Ferry – Is a volunteer run service. 40 volunteers run an electric ferry for foot passengers and bicycles across the Thames from the Sunbury bank to the Walton bank, the midway point of a 5-mile stretch. There is no other pedestrian access to link the two riverbanks for the local communities of Sunbury and Walton on Thames as well as visitors and tourists. Children under 11 travel free, as can community groups such as guides/scouts. They offer an improved quality of life for residents and it has opened a world of enjoyment of the river and neighbouring villages.

Green Hub for Teens – Help support teens mental wellbeing through outdoor sessions in their local host gardens. Over 12+ weeks, they can join other young people and adult volunteers for gardening and crafts based on the ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’ growing skills and confidence. They support young people aged 10-18 who are struggling with social, emotional and mental health challenges and their parents. Many young people with anxiety feel isolated and disconnected. Green Hub offers a safe space to reconnect—with nature, peers, and themselves, through gardening and creative activities.

The Phoenix Project – The group looks to develop responsible and community minded young people in Spelthorne, but particularly in Ashford, Stanwell and Sunbury. The project focuses on developing resilience and team work, that manifests into community support through volunteering. Young people are encouraged to volunteer in a range of established and new projects. The local community gain benefit due to the voluntary projects. The young people who volunteer gain valuable skills. Young people join the project with limited interest in volunteering at the age of 14 and they become passionate volunteers by the age of 15/16. Over 200 young people are involved every year from diverse backgrounds.

Wey & Arun Canal Trust – The Trust restores the inland waterway from Shalford to Pallingham, which conserves and enhances the local environment, improves public access along the Canal, and encourages the use of the waterway. The Trust works with educational groups to use the canal for educational and volunteering purposes, and research’s and conserves heritage of the waterway. Nearly 3,000 volunteers and members of the Trust from Surrey and Sussex benefit from working together on the canal, as do the communities along the canal and their visitors.

Zero Carbon Guildford – Is a community run charity addressing many aspects of climate change through volunteer-led projects. Supported by 215 active volunteers, they address river water quality, home energy efficiency, waste reduction, nature protection and air quality, all whilst building community and encouraging behaviour change to support a sustainable future for all. Most projects directly benefit the residents and SMEs of Guildford, with some of their bigger projects (energy efficiency and river testing) benefitting residents throughout Surrey.

The resubmitted groups from 2025 are Space to Grow, Surplus to Supper, Artventure, Hale Community Centre and Camberley Nepalese Association.

The Lord-Lieutenant presented each group with a highly deserved Lieutenancy Certificate of Appreciation.

The evening was attended by The Vice Lord-Lieutenant, HH Robert Fraser, The High Sheriff, Mrs Joosje Hamlton DL, The Chair of Surrey County Council, Mr Tim Hall, The King’s Award for Voluntary Service Surrey panel, and the nominators and volunteers of all groups. 

The Lord-Lieutenant said ‘Our thanks go to you for being here tonight with your stands, so that we can celebrate, as well as appreciate, all that you do, for others. Without the work of charities and voluntary groups like yours, many communities in Surrey would be so much poorer and our ability to meet local need with care and compassion would be so much less. Indeed, if it wasn’t for you volunteering, a lot of the services that you provide, probably would not be in existence’

If you would like to nominate a group on Surrey for next year’s King’s Award for Voluntary Service, please visit https://kavs.dcms.gov.uk/make-a-nomination/about-nominating/