Two charities that support elderly residents in Edinburgh have had their work recognised by Her Majesty the Queen.
Capital-based Duddingston Kirk Lunch Club and LifeCare Edinburgh been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.
Representatives from both groups will be invited to attend a garden party at Holyrood Palace with the Queen in late Spring. Both charities were recommended for awards by Edinburgh’s Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant, Donald Wilson, who also takes on the role of the city’s volunteering champion.
Duddingston Kirk Lunch Club provides a vital lunch club service for elderly and frail people in east Edinburgh. The service is provided on an entirely voluntary basis by a dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom are themselves elderly.
LifeCare Edinburgh supports the independence and wellbeing of older people including those with dementia and people who are housebound. Work is undertaken at LifeCare’s Centre in Stockbridge House and throughout Edinburgh.
The local groups are two of 187 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of awards handed out to groups have increased by over 60% from 2014, due to an increase in high quality applications, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to tackle community challenges.
Volunteers from LifeCare Edinburgh and the Duddingston Kirk Lunch Club will receive the award from Edinburgh’s Lord Provost later this summer.
The Lord Lieutenant Donald Wilson said: “The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the equivalent of an MBE for volunteer groups and recognises the outstanding work they provide within their local communities. I am delighted that not one but two of Edinburgh’s fantastic charities have been chosen by the Queen to receive this recognition.
[tweet_box design=”default”]”Both LifeCare and the Duddingston Kirk Lunch Club truly deserve the praise. It was an honour to recommend them personally for their voluntary service, and it will be my privilege to present them with their awards and certificates later this year.”[/tweet_box]
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