Congratulations to the four Kent recipients of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. We are delighted to announce that Academy FM Thanet, Child’s Vision, SATEDA and Sittingbourne Community Radio have all been awarded with The King’s Award for Voluntary Service today on His Majesty The King’s birthday. The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is the MBE of volunteering and the highest honour a voluntary group can receive.
Academy FM Thanet is an OFCOM registered community radio station for Thanet providing support to the community. The group runs the only OFCOM registered community radio station in Thanet and has become a hub for social contact in the locality, not only for the students of the Royal Harbour Academy where it is situated, but the whole of the community of Thanet. It also provides a source of referral and promotion for local small businesses through its Academy FM Business Hub and serves 160 businesses that are now part of the station’s Business Watch group.
Child’s Vision is a charity supporting children through domestic abuse, stopping the vicious cycle. The charity sends trained volunteers into schools to work one-to-one with children who have experienced domestic abuse. They also offer online groups exploring the impact of domestic abuse as an adjunct to a national programme which supports the adult victims. Their aims are simple; to provide reassurance, support, and a listening ear, to reassure children that it is okay to be upset by things that are not normal, and not right, and they are not alone. It has published practitioners’ books to support others in this work, and offers CPD training for professionals. They take referrals from GPs, schools, social services, refuges or direct from families. Their work creates a community of support, often engaging previous clients in fundraising and other activities.
SATEDA supports domestic abuse victims to be safe, regain control, find their voice, and live without fear. SATEDA provides its service users with a coherent recovery journey from abuse: from crisis, to safeguarding, recovery, re-building, and returning to employment and active life. They are a pioneer in creating a “woman centred” approach to their service, where all their interventions are joined up, and continuing support is offered in different forms for as long as it is wanted and needed.
Sittingbourne Community Radio provides light entertainment to the local community, alongside information dissemination and event promotion. Listeners are briefed on local democracy and there are regular reports on local news and information. Another emphasis is in promoting the historic roots of the town via reports on local history and attendance at local events.
