Wigan Youth Zone earns The King’s Award for Volunteer Service

Established in 2002 as part of the UK honours system, the honour, which is equivalent to an MBE, hails the outstanding work of grassroots volunteer groups across the UK, and is the highest accolade awarded.

Wigan Youth Zone joins a select group of 262 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups that have received the award this year, which happens to coincide with the acclaimed charity’s 10th birthday celebrations.

The charity has been inspiring and empowering the next generation to reach their full potential since 2013, engaging with over 32,000 young people aged eight to 19 (up to 25 with additional needs).

Those who have directly benefited from its services have experienced increased confidence, reduced isolation, enhanced physical activity and improved mental well-being, among other positive changes.

Critical to the success of Wigan Youth Zone’s services is their hard-working, energetic, knowledgeable, passionate, and inspiring volunteers who support the running of the charity at all levels.

Over the past decade, over 500 volunteers have collectively contributed over 60,000 hours of their time to support young people in Wigan and Leigh.

Anthony Ashworth-Steen, chief executive officer of Wigan of Youth Zone, said: “This is a great honour for Wigan Youth Zone, and we are absolutely ecstatic to have received this prestigious recognition.

"One of our charity’s best or, on reflection, worst-kept secrets is that we are volunteer-led and are reliant on significant voluntary support to run our critical services for young people – about half of our team members are volunteers at any one time.

“It is no exaggeration to say that without our dedicated volunteers and wider team, we would not be able to accomplish the life-changing services we run day in, day out.

“This award is for them, our supporters, our young people, and our entire community – together, we are making proactive investment in the future of our next generation, and, by doing so, we are making a positive difference to thousands of lives.”

Kate Rigby, Volunteer and Training Manager, said, “We are absolutely delighted that the hard work that all our volunteers have put in for many years has been recognised in this way.

"It is a testament to the many hours they have worked tirelessly to inspire our young people, all year round.

"Volunteering is integral to what we do here at Wigan Youth Zone, from Face-to-Face Youth Work and behind the scenes.

"Our fantastic bank of volunteers means that we have access to a wide range of skills, experiences, and knowledge that young people can aspire to and learn from.

“We are extremely grateful for The King's Award for Voluntary Service in granting our charity this award; it means the world to every single one of us.

"Without our volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to do the life-changing work that we do, enabling us to provide quality youth work every day of the year!”

Recipients are announced annually on November 14, The King’s Birthday.

Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse and include volunteer groups from across the UK.

Six representatives of Wigan Youth Zone will receive the award crystal and certificate from Sir Warren James Smith, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester.

Two people from Wigan Youth Zone will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace next summer along with other recipients of this year’s Award.