A Watford-based charity has been presented with the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.
The presentation was made to Small Acts of Kindness by the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, Robert Voss, at a special ceremony held on July 16.
Chief executive Lynne Misner received a dome glass crystal and certificate signed by Her Majesty the Queen.
Accepting the award, Lynne said: "If there is one positive legacy from this challenging year, it is my hope that the breathtaking and extremely moving acts of kindness, carried out by volunteers like ours, will continue and help communities connect and grow stronger."
She continued: "Six years ago, we officially launched Small Acts of Kindness, having sourced and distributed 50 Warm in Winter bags to older people across Watford, in January 2015. By the end of this winter, we will have distributed nearly 60,000 gift bags.
"I am so proud to have been Small Acts of Kindness’s first volunteer But, my goodness, how our family has grown - we now have more than 300 community volunteers and growing every day."
Chris Hamill, chairman of trustees, added: "Every charity has its mission – ours was born out of a lightbulb moment that Lynne had – and it remains the same today - to reduce loneliness and isolation for older people by connecting communities with kindness.
"The problems that we seek to address continue in our communities, with no sign that the need for what we do will decline. And so our doorstep deliveries of Warm in Winter gift bags and Boxes of Kindness will continue to be the main focus of fulfilling our mission as a charity."
Among those who attended the ceremony were Watford MP Dean Russell, Watford deputy mayor Cllr Aga Dychton, Cllr Richard Roberts, the leader of Hertfordshire County Council, and two former High Sheriffs of Hertfordshire, Henry Holland-Hibbert and Sarah Beazley.
Lord-Lieutenant Robert Voss remarked that he was especially pleased to be making this presentation, as it was the first time he had been a volunteer for the charity receiving the award.
He and his wife, Celia, were among more than 300 volunteers who packed the gift bags and boxes over the past year, at Croxley Park.
Small Acts of Kindness was one of just four charities in Hertfordshire which received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2021.
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