Cullybackey Community Partnership receives the Kings Award for Voluntary Service

VOLUNTEERS from Cullybackey Community Partnership have been honoured with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service – the highest award a voluntary group can be awarded in the UK.

The dedicated team work tirelessly all year round supporting the local community through organising community events and festivals, environmental work around the village and managing a Business Centre offering space in the middle of the village.

Paul Christie, Chair, said they are absolutely delighted to have achieved this award.

“It is a testament to all our volunteers who take so much time to making our village a great place to be, so whether its making tea at an event or facilitating a large Christmas Festival, everyone is valued,” he said.

“We intend to hold a huge party to celebrate with all the volunteers.”

The volunteers carry out a diverse range of tasks as part of a fantastic team from a wide range of backgrounds.

The dedication, enthusiasm and hard work of volunteers have resulted in the group receiving a number of other awards including Britain in Bloom Small Village of the Year.

Many hours are spent making sure the village is a really lovely place to visit and much thought goes into themes, colours, plants etc year on year, whilst taking into consideration sustainability and wildlife.

The village has come to enjoy at least two large festivals each year, which are made possible by a dedicated events team of volunteers, providing entertainment, family activities and opportunities for the local community to get together.

Range of community classes

There are also a range of community classes run by the group which include yoga, beginner art classes and first aid.

The thriving community business centre is also a real asset to the village and now has a fantastic Community Hall which is used for a wide variety of events, meetings and activities.

As part of the Business Centre, Cullybackey Community Partnership are also part of a Community Hub based on the Main Street.

This is a place where people can come in, find out more about local activities, sign up to classes, discover volunteering opportunitues and enjoy a cup of tea and a chat. This has been particularly successful in reaching many marginalised and lonely people in the Village.

Cullybackey Community Partnership is one of 262 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year, 9 of which are from Northern Ireland.

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to benefit their communities.

It was created in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee and, following his accession, His Majesty The King emphasised his desire to continue the Award.

If you would like to find out more about Cullybackey Community Partnership or would like to volunteer, please contact us on 02825882281, email cullybackey@nacn.org or call into The Hub.