In June Buckinghamshire Mind was delighted to be one of 10 named local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.
This award recognises the incredible contribution of the charity’s volunteers and the huge benefit they bring to the community. Buckinghamshire Mind has over 500 volunteers who are integral to the delivery of our mental health services. Over 15,000 lives were touched by Buckinghamshire Mind in 2018/19, which couldn’t have been achieved without these volunteers.
A celebration was held on World Mental Health Day, 10th October 2019, where Buckinghamshire Mind was honoured to be formally presented with the Crystal Award and Certificate from HM The Queen, given by the Queen’s representative Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, KCVO, Bt HM Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire.
Sir Henry Stated,
“Buckinghamshire Mind reaches out to some of the most isolated people in the community, working to support and represent those with mental health problems living across the county, with the aim of enabling them to live safe, purposeful and fulfilled lives.
Buckinghamshire Mind works hard to ensure its volunteers are well supported to get the most out of their experiences and to ensure they know their contribution is valued appreciated.”
Alongside celebrating this amazing achievement, the event’s presentations highlighted World Mental Health Day (WMHD). Mental health problems can affect anyone, any day of the year, and this is a day to show support for better mental health and to start looking after your own wellbeing.
WMHD 2019 focus is on suicide and suicide prevention. Every year close to 800,000 people globally take their own life and there are many more people who attempt suicide. Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. It’s the leading cause of death among young people aged 20-34 years in the UK and is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds globally.
Andrea McCubbin CEO for Buckinghamshire Mind said,
“The scale and range of services that Buckinghamshire Mind delivers continues to grow. The key components of our strategy will be to complement the local view of the NHS long-term plan, whilst continuing to amplify our service user voice, build our relationships with key stakeholders and deliver the quality mental health services that the people in Buckinghamshire need.”
Parton of Buckinghamshire Mind, Anthony Seldon, Vice-Chancellor, University of Buckingham commented,
“I am overjoyed by the wonderful news that Buckinghamshire Mind has received The Queens’ Award for Voluntary Service. As the highest award that any voluntary group can receive, it is further proof of the very high quality and important work that is undertaken. I am deeply proud to be Patron of Buckinghamshire Mind, and hope you have a wonderful presentation today.”