The UK honours system recognises people who have made achievements in public life or have committed themselves to serving and helping Britain. There are two awards rounds each year; The New Year Honours (1 January) and the Queen’s Birthday Honours (June).
Candidates can be nominated for an outstanding contributions in a wide range of sectors, however the Office for Civil Society (OCS) Honours and Awards Team in the Cabinet Office are responsible for Honours relating to the Charity and Voluntary Sector and manage awards for voluntary and charitable work in general, as well as youth related voluntary activities.
As part of the wider interest of OCS in harnessing the achievements and functions of the Voluntary, Community and Enterprise sector, it is vital to recognise outstanding work within this area. Individuals may descend from various backgrounds, with their contributions rooted in the UK and/or abroad. The strongest nominations will reflect OCS policy agenda:
- Supporting people to come together and improve their lives through the giving of time (volunteering) and supporting the growth of social action initiatives
- Supporting the VCSE sector by opening public service markets to VCSE’s and improving sector capability
- Supporting Civil Society organisations to access the finance they need for scale and sustainability by growing the social investment market
To nominate someone for an honour please visit https://www.gov.uk/honours/overview to start the process and to obtain futher information.