Wellingborough District Hindu Association awarded King's honour for voluntary service to town

Wellingborough District Hindu Association (WDHA) has been awarded a King’s Award for Voluntary Service for its efforts in the community.

Created in 2002 in honour of the Queen’s golden jubilee, the King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) recognises outstanding work done by volunteers over the course of the year, being the equivalent to an MBE.

Vinod Patel, chairman of Wellingborough District Hindu Association, said: "The success of WDHA is centred around the willingness of the community to offer their professional skills and time through voluntary support, from trusteeship, fundraising, accounting, educational initiatives, community outreach, celebrating religious and cultural events to social and health care programmes; aimed at benefiting the whole community.

“Volunteers are an integral part of our success, and this award is in recognition of the valuable contribution made by volunteers over the last 50 years.

"I would like to thank all our volunteers for your continued hard work and dedication to support the work undertaken by WDHA.”

WDHA was started by a group of community volunteers in the early 1970s.

Since then, the Hindu Centre has continued to serve the community in Wellingborough and across Northamptonshire for more than 45 years, hosting religious, community engagement events, educational and sports programmes for children, families and local schools, and supporting thousands of individuals in that time.

Now, it’s one of the 262 charities, youth groups and museums across the UK that have been given the honour.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “Each year, millions of volunteers give up their time to provide care and support, and this award recognises those truly making a difference to the lives of others across the United Kingdom.

“It’s brilliant to see the King continue the legacy of Her Late Majesty and reward those who support their local communities with kindness and compassion.

"Congratulations to all those who have been awarded.”

Sir Martyn Lewis CBE, the KAVS chairman, added: “The awardees work selflessly as groups of volunteers to address every conceivable kind of local issue across all our communities.

"We owe them huge congratulations, but also much more than that for the inestimable value they bring to our society."

The only other county recipient of the award was the McCarthy Dixon Foundation in Northampton.