SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE ASIAN PROJECT AWARDED
(30 July 2004)

Bristol-based voluntary group, South Gloucestershire Asian Project was selected to receive the prestigious Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. The Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, Henry Elwes presented the award on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, on Friday 30th July at Emersons Green Village Hall.

Originally set up to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee year, the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service is an annual award designed to give well-deserved recognition to the unsung heroes in our communities - the hundreds of thousands of voluntary groups across the UK that play such an essential role in our daily lives.

The Lord Lieutenant made the presentation of a certificate signed by the Queen, as well as a commemorative piece of crystal to the SGAP chairman Jitesh Mistry and other project committee members. Other dignitaries present for the presentation included: Cllr Julian Barge, Chair of Bradley Stoke; Pauline Hawker, Assistant Director Community Services at South Gloucestershire Council; Inspector Javid, Black Police Association and Cllr Sue Walker, Chair South Gloucestershire Council.

The Lord Lieutenant said of the Award presentation: "It is a great honour to present this award to the South Gloucestershire Asian Project on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen. The SAGP has made a huge impact on the local community and I am sure that this will also encourage many of the other voluntary organisations working in the region to come forward and be recognised for their invaluable contribution."

The South Gloucestershire Asian Project is just one of the 693 entries that went through the rigorous regional and national selection process to be recognised as having made an invaluable contribution to the local community.

Established five years ago, the project now has a membership of 250, with over 200 of these taking part in their Annual Show. Membership has increased each year and members now receive a regular bi-monthly newsletter and a dedicated website has been developed and is regularly maintained.

The group has firmly established itself as part of the social fabric in the South Gloucestershire area. The organisation provides a social network enabling the local Asian community to interact with each other thus combating the isolation previously experienced by them.

The South Gloucestershire Asian Project offers a variety of activities and reaches out to the community and in so doing has established a good rapport with the local people. It also encourages greater involvement in wider community events such as local festivals and open days. Being able to deliver a service that is relevant to its members is very important to the project, one such example is the introduction of a programme of classical singing lessons, which was a direct result of requests from a large number of its members.

The project has built up a unique and enviable reputation among the local people and other community organisations. It regularly participates in wider community events such as local festivals and seminars and has carried out research on behalf of the local Council, which directly benefits the local community.

All winners have been nominated by members of the public who have either benefited from their work, or seen the positive effect on the community, or by representatives of public bodies. The Award is only given to those groups where volunteers are judged to have regularly devoted their time to providing an outstanding level of help to other people.

This year, for the first time, all the winning groups had the opportunity to send three members to a reception for winners being given by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh at St James's Palace on 19th July.

Home Office Minister, Fiona Mactaggart, said: "These annual awards give well-deserved recognition to some of the unsung heroes who work together as volunteers. The activity of our citizens is a vital resource in the UK - it develops the individual, boosts local communities and enriches the nation.

"Volunteer groups like South Gloucestershire Asian Project do so much good, yet they often don't receive public thank-yous. I am pleased that, through these awards, there is a special opportunity to recognise and celebrate their work.

"Community groups work hard to improve the quality of life for people in all walks of life. These are people who take action themselves, rather than leaving it to others. I hope that those who have benefited from their work will now think ahead to the next year and nominate them for a 2005 award."

If you know a volunteering group that is really making a difference to your community, then nomination forms for the 2005 Queen's Award for Volunteering Service are available from www.queensawardvoluntary.gov.uk or by calling 0845 000 2002. The nomination period runs until 30 September 2004.

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