We were delighted to be asked to nominate local charity Move the Masses for The Kings Award for Voluntary Service – the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK.
Move the Masses run a number of initiatives across the city of York, mobilising huge teams of volunteers to tackle isolation, loneliness, and vulnerable people in the community. their focus is on mobility and getting everybody moving at a pace that works for the individual.
From a beneficiary perspective, Move the Masses build confidence and wellbeing through physical exercise. This can be as accessible as a weekly walk around the block with a Move Mate, through to exercise classes. Move the Masses’ strength lies in their ability to recruit, retain and mobilise volunteers en masse. They have a regular pool of volunteers, but their work through the pandemic really illustrates their power, when they delivered thousands of prescriptions across the city to vulnerable people using a team of volunteers on bikes. They also run a Move Map, which shows places to exercise for free.
Move the Masses’ strength lies in their ability to recruit, retain and mobilise volunteers en masse. They have a regular pool of volunteers, but their work through the pandemic really illustrates their power, when they delivered thousands of prescriptions across the city to vulnerable people using a team of volunteers on bikes. Their regular pool of volunteers provide a personalised one-to-one service with beneficiaries, with one volunteer I know taking a woman facing multiple and complex needs (in recovery, domestic violence survivor, physical disabilities) on twice weekly walks. This is the only contact this individual has with “a friend” and is having a huge impact on her community reintegration. With over 200 volunteers offering around 600 hours a week in total, the impact of their work is both unrivalled and critical in the local area.
What next?
Local assessors research and visit nominated groups before writing a report on their suitability. Local assessment panels then decide which ones to put forward to the National Assessment Committee. The committee considers the nominations and agrees a shortlist for approval by the King. The awards are announced on 14 November. Awarded groups get a certificate signed by the King and a domed glass crystal.
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