THERE was double the delight in south Warwickshire when two organisations received royal recognition.
Compassionate Kenilworth, a group which tackles social isolation, and talkdementia, a team that provides practical advice and emotional support to families and carers of people living locally with dementia, have received the Kings Award for Voluntary Services.
The award aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Her Late Majesty The Queen’s Golden Jubilee and was continued following the accession of His Majesty The King and is the highest recognition a local voluntary group can receive in the UK – the equivalent of an MBE for charities and community groups.
Recipients are announced annually on November 14 – the King’s birthday. Both organisations will receive the award crystal and certificate from Tim Cox, the King’s lord-lieutenant of Warwickshire, in the coming months and, in addition, two volunteers from each organisation will attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.
Compassionate Kenilworth strives to reduce social isolation and loneliness, creating a stronger, healthier, and more connected community. By offering free-to-access opportunities for social engagement, creativity, learning and support, they help improve overall well-being and bring people together.
talkdementia was founded in 2021 by husband and wife team Paul and Heather Dowler. Utilizing their own personal experiences of caring for a loved one living with dementia, it built on the success of the Wellesbourne Dementia Café started by Heather in January 2016.
The invaluable assistance of 35 local volunteers enables the couple, through the gateway of six dementia friendly cafes, to work voluntarily alongside medical professionals, national charities and local organisations to provide practical advice and emotional support to those families and dementia carers living locally within south Warwickshire and North Cotswolds.
Compassionate Kenilworth’s volunteer operations manager Pauline Hayward said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and incredibly proud that Compassionate Kenilworth has been recognised with a King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This honour is a true reflection of the dedication, compassion, and community spirit shown by everyone involved – our volunteers, partners, and supporters who make such a difference every day.”
Paul Dowler of talkdementia added: “talkdementia has no paid staff, we are therefore incredibly proud and privileged to have been given the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service, which recognises the dedication shown by the volunteers, who willingly give their time, patience and understanding while changing their own lives to help other people.”
