Storrington Area Help Scheme, a registered charity based in Storrington and run entirely by just over 40 volunteers, has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2024. This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.

The group, which celebrated its 50^th anniversary last year, helps local residents of Storrington and Sullington, Ashington, Cootham, Thakeham, Washington and West Chiltington to attend a range of healthcare appointments primarily within West Sussex. Essential transport is provided by volunteers using their own vehicles and is arranged through a telephone service located in the Trinity Centre and staffed by a team of volunteer call-takers working in the mornings from Monday to Friday. Car drivers collect passengers from home to drive them to their appointments, wait and then drive them home. The service is particularly aimed at those who are unable to reach their appointment by themselves or who do not have friends or family to help them. From 1 January until 31 October this year, a total of 860 requests for help with transport had already been received.

The Storrington Area Help Scheme is one of 281 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. Their work, along with others from across the UK, reminds us of all the ways fantastic volunteers are contributing to their local 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 King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Recipients are announced annually on 14th November. The King’s Birthday Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse and include volunteer groups from across the UK, such as a mental health and wellbeing support network for veterans and their families in Yorkshire; a group preserving a historic 12th century castle in south Wales; volunteers providing English lessons for refugees in Stirling and an organisation providing opportunities to engage in the arts for people with learning disabilities in County Fermanagh.

Representatives of Storrington Area Help Scheme will receive the award crystal and certificate from Lady Emma Barnard, Lord-Lieutenant of West Sussex. In addition, two volunteers from Storrington Area Help Scheme will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May and June 2025, along with other recipients of this year’s Award.

Alan Craig MBE, one of seven Trustees and the Administrator for the Scheme, said “I am so pleased that the efforts of our outstanding team of highly committed office staff and volunteer drivers have been recognised in this lifetime Award. I am also very grateful to those regular recipients of the Scheme who took the trouble to nominate us and spoke so highly of the friendly social engagement and reliability we offer. I believe it is a perfect example of volunteers in the community working together for the benefit and wellbeing of the community. The Scheme is always keen to welcome new volunteers and more information can be found on www.sahs.co.uk.”