ROYAL recognition could beckon for Bury organisations as nominations are being sought for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2015.

They could follow in the successful footsteps of BIG (Bury Involvement Group) in Mental Health and the Bury Society for Blind and Partially Sighted People, which received the award earlier this year.

Nominations must be submitted before the September 30 deadline and a small group has been formed in Bury with the task of generating more nominations.

Barry Dixon, one of the three people behind the local push, said: “This year Bury had two winners of the award which was particularly good given there were only 13 awarded across the 10 boroughs and Greater Manchester had one of the highest totals nationally.”

Among the criteria for the award is that a group must be made up of two or more people and must provide a specific benefit in the local area.

The group may be a branch of, or affiliated to, a larger regional or national organisation as long as the volunteers started and developed the initiative for the activity locally, and the group’s achievements go beyond what is expected of similar groups in the wider organisation’s network.

Groups involved in fundraising activities are eligible for the award if their fundraising activity: l Involves volunteers.

  • Focuses on creating or holding an event or local activity, rather than simply asking for donations.
  • Is to provide something that can be shown to benefit the community.

For information on how to nominate a group: visit: manchesterlieutenancy.org or gov.uk/queens-award-for-voluntary-service.