Nominations have now closed for The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2026.
Nominations will be reviewed for eligibility by the KAVS team in London and the Merseyside Lieutenancy will be informed by 1st January 2026 of those groups which will undergo a local assessment.
Local assessments will be undertaken by Deputy Lieutenants between January and 12th April 2026.
The KAVS Independent Assessment Committee will then review all submissions until late June.
The Committee’s proposed list of awardees is submitted to His Majesty The King for approval in July.
An official announcement of the successful groups will be made on 14th November 2026.
In the meantime, this year’s successful groups will begin having their awards presented in the New Year.
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (formerly the QAVS) is the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK. It was created in 2002 to recognise the contribution of volunteers and worthwhile causes who work so tirelessly for their community, yet do not seek out the attention or publicity that they richly deserve. Merseyside has a significant number of these incredible groups and organisations that truly work for the benefit of others in outstanding ways.
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service nominations is now open. If you know a person or organisation that is doing something unique, why don’t you nominate them! Everything you need to know can be found by following the links on this page, or contact Helen Tanzey, the Clerk to the Lieutenancy on msl.clerk@lieutenancy.info or telephone: 0151 363 9528.
Any group of 3 or more people doing volunteering work can be nominated for the award. The majority of the group must be volunteers, and more than half the volunteers must have the right to live in the UK.
To be nominated they should do work that:
Local assessment panels look at all the nominations and decide which ones to send to the National Award Committee. The committee makes recommendations to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which sends a final list to The King for his approval.
Further information or advice on making a nomination for the KAVS is available through the Merseyside Lieutenancy office, or you can click here to read more.
Winners receive a certificate signed by The King and a crystal trophy. Two representatives from the group will also be invited to attend a Royal Garden Party. Significantly, award recipients are entitled to use The King’s Award emblem on their website, stationery and other printed material. A KAVS is an indicator of the worth and credibility of an organisation and often assists in helping to fundraise, attracting philanthropic giving, and overall profile.
Congratulations to these incredible Merseyside organisations who have recently been awarded the QAVS and KAVS.
