Celebrating Outlookers Incredible Achievement: The King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2024

We’re over the moon to announce that our team of dedicated volunteers at Outlookers have been honoured with the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2024! This is the highest recognition a local volunteer group can receive in the UK, akin to an MBE, and we couldn’t be prouder.

Outlookers is one of 281 remarkable charities, social enterprises, and voluntary groups across the UK receiving this esteemed award this year. Our work, along with other recipients, exemplifies the dedication of volunteers in making a positive impact on their local communities.

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service was established in 2002 to commemorate Her Majesty The late Queen’s Golden Jubilee, and it continues under His Majesty The King. Each year, on the King’s Birthday, the award is presented to outstanding local volunteer groups, recognising their contributions to society.

Representatives from Outlookers will soon receive the award crystal and certificate from Lord-Lieutenant Edmund Anderson of West Yorkshire. Plus, two of our volunteers will attend a regal garden party at Buckingham Palace in May and June 2025, rubbing shoulders with other award recipients.

David Quarmby, our Founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees, said “Outlookers was founded to empower the visually impaired community by sharing knowledge, skills, and experiences. Our invaluable peer support enables us to learn from one another and keep doing what we love.”

Mark Owen, our CEO, shared his delight over the well-deserved recognition of our volunteers’ dedication – “Without them, we couldn’t provide peer and tech support to those with visual impairments across Kirklees.”

Laura Gibbins, Volunteer Coordinator, praised the inspiring team, highlighting their generosity and commitment to our cause – “Their shared belief in our mission drives our charity’s success in fostering a friendly and supportive environment for our sight loss community.”

We’re beyond grateful for this prestigious award and will continue serving our community with passion and dedication. Here’s to our incredible volunteers – thank you for making Outlookers what it is today!

To find out more about the KAVS award, you can read the official GOV.UK press release here.