Art at the Heart Queen’s Award Nomination
The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
Art at the Heart were nominated for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service last year, the highest recognition for volunteer groups across the country. We know that many of you will have been waiting patiently to hear the result, so we are keen to share the feedback with you.
While we were unfortunately unsuccessful, Chairman Sir Martyn Lewis described the nomination as a ‘tremendous achievement’ and praised ‘the vital role you play in supporting your local community.’ Sir Martyn was keen to pass on to our volunteers and staff his ‘warm appreciation of all you do and our hopes for your continued success’, and Art at the Heart were strongly encouraged to re-apply next year.
To celebrate Volunteers Week, we would like to publicly thank our fantastic volunteers, who have supported us throughout this nomination, and with various projects and events over the years.
Volunteers Week
Every year, Volunteers Week takes place from the 1st to the 7th of June. As well as being a chance to say a big THANK YOU to volunteers, this week is part of the #MonthofCommunity, a chance for volunteering organisations and communities to get together throughout June through various events.
Volunteering with Art at the Heart
We keep our volunteers at the very HEART of our organisation, with around 10 substantive assistants and 40 regular assistants passing through our exhibition doors and checking in with us on Zoom. Collectively, they provide 4,655 annual hours of volunteering – that’s an absolutely huge contribution!
Our volunteers take on a range of real industry roles, including front of house support during events, assisting with story-telling and drawing workshops, providing graphic design materials, and organising social media engagement. We offer the opportunity to get hands-on from the very first day, welcoming each new volunteer into the community.
One of our most exciting volunteering projects was the 2019 Diwali Shadows and Light event, part of our World Culture Programme. We used cultural storytelling and interactive workshops to bring together local communities to celebrate international culture. A whole host of volunteers came together to provide vibrant costumes, props and assistance for a range of Diwali themed activities, including an immersive shadow puppet workshop (pictured below).
If you are interested in exploring volunteering opportunities, do please get in touch via [email protected] or check our website and social media pages regularly for updates.
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