The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups, awarded in recognition of work that has significantly benefited others and sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering by such groups. The bar is high and organisations must be volunteer-led.

Anyone outside the organisation can nominate at any time. Nominations close each September and decisions are made within a year. Any group of 2 or more people doing volunteering work can be nominated for the award. The majority of the group must be volunteers, and more than half the volunteers must have the right to live in the UK.

To be nominated the volunteers should do work that:

• Provides a service and meets a need for people living in the local community
• Is supported, recognised and respected by the local community and the people who benefit from it
• Is run locally

Volunteer groups should have been running for 3 years or more to be nominated.

Local assessment panels look at all the nominations and decide which ones to send to the National Award Committee. The committee makes recommendations to the Cabinet Office, which sends a final list to The King for his approval.

Nominations for The King's Award for Voluntary Service can only be made online and more information can be found following the link below.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are for outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of:
• innovation
• international trade
• sustainable development
• promoting opportunity through social mobility

If you get an award you’ll be:

• invited to a Royal reception
• presented with the award at your company by the Lord-Lieutenant
able to fly The King’s Awards flag at your main office, and use the emblem on your marketing materials (for example, on your packaging, advertisements, stationery and website)
• given a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and a commemorative crystal trophy

The awards are valid for 5 years.

Organisations that received an award have reported benefiting from:

• worldwide recognition
• increased commercial value
• greater press coverage
• a boost to staff morale

Three Royal Garden Parties are held at Buckingham Palace every year and about 8000 people attend each party.

In January of each year, the Lord-Lieutenant prepares to submit a list of names to The Lord Chamberlain whom he would recommend for consideration to attend a Royal Garden Party. There are restrictions-for example, all guests should be 18 or over to be invited in their own right.

If you feel that someone in Gwent has made a major contribution to life in the community, or has provided exceptional service in any other way, you could recommend that they are invited to this very special event.

Recommendations should be made via the Lord-Lieutenancy Office using the email address at the top of this page.