KAVS2024 Announcement
Dancing with Dementia, a group of volunteers based in Swinton, Greater Manchester have been awarded The King's Award for Voluntary Service for 2024. This is the highest award a local voluntary groups can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
Dancing with Dementia is one of 281 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The aim of Dancing with Dementia is to enhance, enrich and prolong the lives of people living with dementia, their family, friends and carers through music and dance. We embrace anyone who feels lonely or isolated and encourage them to come along to our sessions and have fun, make new friends, and welcome them to our Dancing with Dementia family. Music reaches the part of the brain that triggers wonderful memories, takes people back to their youth and special years and events in their life. Their work, along with others from across the UK, reminds us of all the ways fantastic volunteers are contributing to their communities and working to make life better for those around them.
The King's Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Her Majesty The late Queen's Golden Jubilee and, was continued following the accession of His Majesty The King. 2024 marks the second year of The Kings Award for Voluntary Service.
Recipients are announced annually on 14th November, The King's Birthday. Award winners this year are a wonderfully diverse and include volunteer groups from across the UK, such as mental health and wellbeing support networks for veterans and their families in Yorkshire, a groups preserving a historic 12th century castle in south Wales: volunteers providing English lessons for refugees in Sterling and an organisation providing opportunities to engage in the arts for people with learning difficulties in County Fermanagh.
Representatives form Dancing with Dementia will receive the award crystal and certification from Diane Hawkins, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester later this summer. In addition, two volunteers from Dancing with Dementia will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May and June 2025, along with other recipients of this year's award.
The trustees from Dancing with Dementia said that they are both humbled and honoured to receive the KVSA and are deeply indebted to and immensely proud of all the volunteers as they have fulfilled their various roles with dedication, passion and empathy. Giving back to the community creates a positive sense of fulfilment and accomplishment for each individual. This is reflected throughout our events by the emotional and physical wellbeing of our guests. For this work to recognised by this award is a great honour and an auspicious moment in Dancing with Dementia's journey.
More info on the awards: https://kavs.dcms.gov.uk/