Northern Ireland

St Vincent de Paul named among groups to receive UK's highest voluntary award

SVP's Mary Waide. Picture: Matt Mackey/Press Eye
SVP's Mary Waide. Picture: Matt Mackey/Press Eye

ST Vincent de Paul workers in the north are among groups set to receive the UK's highest honour for charity organisations.

The King’s (formerly Queen's) Award for Voluntary Service is equivalent to an MBE, and has been awarded annually to groups across the UK since 2002.

St Vincent de Paul (SVP) was named on Tuesday - King Charles' birthday - as among the 262 organisations that will receive the honour for 2024, and which will be represented at an event next summer at Buckingham Palace.

Read more:

  • St Vincent de Paul sees requests for help rise by more than 51 per cent
  • Households building up ‘significant' energy debt, charity warns

SVP is a global charity founded by members of the Catholic Church, and is the largest voluntary charity in Ireland. It is estimated that members in the north perform around 800,000 hours of volunteering each year.

The Irish organisation's regional president for the north, Mary Waide, said: “The King’s Award for Voluntary Service belongs to each and every one of our volunteers as they are dedicated to providing assistance to families faced with impossible choices across the region.

"With visitation at the core of the Society, our volunteers tirelessly reach into the heart of their local communities, making a difference to those battling poverty and social exclusion, irrespective of their background. I am so proud of our volunteers and would congratulate them on receiving this award."