Awards recognise volunteers giving time to others

Volunteers in areas including conservation, care and mental health support are receiving awards for their contributions.

Nineteen community groups from across the West Midlands will be presented with a King's Award for Voluntary Service on Sunday.

The Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands Derrick Anderson said it was to recognise "the many wonderful people who give their precious time to others".

The organisations being recognised are based in Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and elsewhere in the Black Country.

Among recipients will be Black Country Blokes, which supports the mental health of men in the area.

The group offers a podcast, radio slot, daily boxing and fitness classes and a Thought for the Day on social media, and evolved from founder Kevin Dillon's plans to create a boxing gym where men could open up about their problems and fears.

"Their approach works and makes talking and connecting accessible," the lieutenancy said.

Friends of Di's Kitchen, which delivers meals in Wolverhampton, is also being recognised.

Volunteers there deliver food to more than 800 people each week, with extra treats provided on birthdays, Easter and Christmas, especially for children.

Warwick Volunteers is offering a "win-win for all" through the support it gives to overseas students, organisers said.

The group places students in volunteer positions, working in areas from nature conservation to foodbanks, and also provides language skills for refugees, so that the students gain confidence and connections.

Mr Anderson said the groups brought communities together and improved lives, adding the awards would make for an "uplifting and heartwarming" occasion.

He presents the awards on Sunday at the ICC in Birmingham city centre.

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