ECB wins Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award

Thursday 13th December 2012

ECB wins Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is one of sixty organisations to be recognised by The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Awards 2012 – for successfully harnessing the hard work, commitment and generosity of volunteers to change Britain for the better, the Cabinet Office and Buckingham Palace announced today.

Her Majesty The Queen approved the Awards which recognised organisations that have made a significant contribution to society throughout her sixty-year reign.

It is a special, one-off category of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, which was established a decade ago as part of the UK honours system to champion the work of grassroots organisations.

Martyn Lewis CBE, Chairman, Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award 2012 Committee, said: “The organisations honoured today have built their success on the dedication and generosity of thousands of extraordinary people, each of whom has devoted their time and energy to the simple aim of making their communities – and their country – a better place.”

The ECB was one of seven sporting organisations to receive the award, and the governing body coordinates a range of activity for its network of tens of thousands of volunteers who donate their time to improve all aspects of the game, at every level.

NatWest CricketForce, entering its 12th year in 2013, sees more than 70,000 volunteers on a single weekend helping 2,000 clubs prepare for the season ahead, whilst the ECB’s “vCricket” initiative has recruited over 5,500 new young volunteers aged 16 – 25 in the last 4 years.

David Collier, ECB Chief Executive, said: “We are humbled and proud to have been recognised with this prestigious award by Her Majesty which celebrates the dedication of all our volunteers who are the lifeblood of our game.”

Jane Hannah, ECB National Volunteer & Participation Manager, said: “We are committed to expanding our volunteer programme, and hopefully this award will inspire a new generation of volunteers to get involved with our sport.”