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A group of magistrates have been given "the highest award a local voluntary group can receive". The Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Association has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2024. This is the "highest" award a voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
The group of magistrates give up their time to deliver free workshops to schools, colleges, and community groups. Their aim is to raise awareness of the role of the Magistracy and engage with young people across Greater Manchester to help them make "better choices within the law". They run sessions on topical issues such as knife crime and cyberbullying through interactive quizzes, virtual reality workshops, and mock trial competitions.
They work alone and in partnership with Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Early Break, Virtual Decisions, and Crimestoppers. In addition, they organise visits to prisons and the probation service and raise funds to support their work in the community. Last year, Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Association volunteers conducted 197 visits and reached 8,560 young people across all ten Greater Manchester boroughs.
The Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Association is one of 281 charities, social enterprises, and voluntary groups to receive the award this year. The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise 'outstanding work' by volunteer groups which support their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Her Majesty The late Queen’s Golden Jubilee and was continued following the accession of His Majesty The King.
This year marks the second year of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. Rachel Medcalf JP, the Greater Manchester Magistrates in the Community Coordinator, said: "We are so delighted that our group’s work has been recognised. "Working in the classroom with young people from all the different demographics that make up Greater Manchester is hard work but hugely rewarding.
"If we can get just one young person to think differently about carrying a knife or posting harmful content, we feel we have made a small but important difference." Representatives of Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Association will receive the award crystal and certificate from Diane Hawkins JP LLB, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester later this summer. In addition, two volunteers from Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Association will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May and June 2025, along with other recipients of this year’s Award.
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