A CHARITY supporting vulnerable people in Southend has been recognised with a prestigious national award honouring the hard work and dedication of volunteers.
The One Love Project, in Southend, has been honoured with the Kings Award for Voluntary Service.
The awards celebrates the outstanding work of volunteer groups across the UK.
The King personally selected the winners, and the awards are officially announced on His Majesty’s The King’s Birthday this month.
The Southend charity, One Love Project, offers a welcoming, friendly, non-judgemental space for those experiencing homelessness, those in active addiction, with complex mental health or experiencing food and fuel poverty.
The charity offers guests comprehensive support in a variety of ways, including warm meals, a sense of community, physical and mental health support, clothing, hygiene and even haircuts at their evening service.
Sharon Yavuz, chair of The One Love Project said: “Being fortunate enough to have been recognised for this prestigious award not only means our hard work as compassionate professionals driving change is validated, but that the voice of society’s most vulnerable is heard and understood.
“The stories we hear from our service users tell of some of life’s most gruelling circumstances, yet they attend our services week in, week out, because they know that this is a safe and trauma-informed environment.
“Our voluntary and paid staff along with our trustees and partners work tirelessly to provide comprehensive and holistic support to all who come through our doors.”
Running alongside the services, the charity works in partnership with other charitable and statutory services to deliver other provisions.
The One Love Project is the only charity in Southend to be honoured with this award which is the highest national award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.
Two volunteers from the winning groups are invited to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in the summer of the 2024, along with other recipients of this award from across the country.
To donate, and help support the One Love Project, visit https://theoneloveproject.co.uk/donate/
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