Local community rugby league club among 281 volunteer organisations to receive The King’s Award

Previously known as The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, this award was established in 2002 to mark Her Late Majesty The Queen’s Golden Jubilee and was continued following the accession of His Majesty The King. It is the equivalent of an MBE and represents the highest distinction for voluntary organisations in the UK.

Awarded each year to honour volunteer-led groups working across a wide range of fields including mental health, youth, environment, community, arts and heritage, The King’s Award for Voluntary Service showcases the continued range and significance of voluntary service carried out every day across the nation.

This year’s recipients include 232 organisations from England, 21 from Scotland, 22 from Northern Ireland, 5 from Wales, and 1 from the Isle of Man, with 83% of awardees falling outside London and England’s South East, in cities and villages spanning all four corners of the UK. With a total of 281 awardees, this year marks the largest number of recipients in the award’s 22-year history.

Leigh Miners Rangers Rugby League Academy have been recognised for ‘providing sporting opportunities to children, particularly girls, from disadvantaged backgrounds’ and become the first junior rugby league club to receive the award.

In just over six years, the club has developed its girls section from a small group to 137 members, making it the largest girls section in England.

A statement read: “Leigh Miners Rangers RL Academy are extremely proud to receive the honour, especially as being the first ever junior rugby league club to achieve this.

"We would like to put on record our thanks to those whose support and guidance helped us to achieve this honour, including Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Mike Walmsley, as well as the former and retired committee members whose solid foundations the club continue to build on.”

Other recipients in the borough are Shevington and District Community Association, Empathy Northwest CIC and Happy Smiles Training.