St John's Parish Church
Swalecliffe with Chestfield

Coronation awards joy for St John’s Church Swalecliffe volunteer 

 

Jack Dale is one of 500 outstanding volunteers to be chosen as the nation’s Coronation Champions.

 

An outstanding volunteer from Whitstable, Jack has been recognised by Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort as part of the official Coronation celebrations in conjunction with The Royal Voluntary Service.

   Jack volunteers with St John’s Church, Swalecliffe and 6th Whitstable Scout Group and has been recognised for his contribution and crowned a Coronation Champion. This follows a call out to the nation to nominate their volunteer heroes. Almost 5000 entries were received, with nominations made for individuals aged 14 up to 103.

   Jack impressed judges with his volunteer work supporting young people no matter their background in their development as a Cub Leader.  Not only that Jack is a Church Treasurer in an Anglican church that seeks to actively support their local community and spread the Christian message.  He fundraises hard for both organisations contributing to at least £15,000 worth of fundraising per year.

   With the support of Her Majesty The Queen Consort, a passionate advocate of volunteering and President of The Royal Voluntary Service, the Coronation Champions Awards were launched to recognise exceptional volunteers from across the country at this momentous point in history. Across the UK, 500 Champions dazzled the judging panel with the impact of their work, their inspirational stories and unwavering commitment to volunteering.

    All Coronation Champions, including Jack have been invited to attend one of the official Coronation celebrations, such as the Windsor Castle Coronation Concert or a Coronation Garden Party. They will also receive a specially designed, official Coronation Champions pin and a certificate signed by Their Majesties.

    Commenting on becoming a Coronation Champion, Jack said: “I am humbled to think that someone else thinks that I do a good job worthy enough to be put forward for these awards.  I am just a normal person trying to make a small difference in our local community.  6th Whitstable Scout Group sees children and adults of all ages develop in ways they don’t even realise, and St John’s Church strives to be an active, relevant presence and support to all ages.  Together they make a massive difference to so many."

    The Coronation Champions Awards invited people across the UK to nominate their local volunteering heroes who are going the extra mile. Nominations were made across eight award categories; supporting older people; supporting young people and children; crisis and welfare; community; sports, culture, and heritage; health and care; sustainability and the environment; and animal welfare.

   Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of The Royal Voluntary Service said: “We were completely blown away by the response to the Community Champions Awards and the huge volume of amazing nominees put forward. Our judges had a tough job selecting just 500 Champions from an array of thousands of inspirational individuals, who all deserve to be recognised and commended. “Each of our Coronation Champions displayed a commitment and contribution that far exceeds any expectation and we’re overjoyed to honour and thank them during this exciting point in history.”

    The Royal Voluntary Service is immensely grateful for the generous support of brand partners Simplyhealth, for supporting the Health and Care category, Sky, through its Sky Cares programme, for supporting the Community category and Petplan, for supporting the Animal Welfare category.

    Those feeling inspired to try volunteering themselves are encouraged to take part in The Big Help Out on Monday 8th May. The Big Help Out is another official Coronation project, aiming to encourage newcomers to volunteering, bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation weekend.

    The Royal Voluntary Service is one of Britain’s largest volunteering charities with volunteers supporting the NHS and thousands of vulnerable people in the community. The charity delivers the NHS Volunteer Responders programme for NHS England, enabled by the GoodSAM app, with volunteers responding to over 2.5 million requests for help to support approximately 220,000 people, and completing over 363,000 shifts at vaccination sites. The charity also works in local communities running home libraries, companionship support, home from hospital services and patient transport. Its Virtual Village Hall provides online activities and classes to promote wellbeing and keep people active.

 

For more information about Royal Voluntary Service, please visit https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/