CELEBRATING SUCCESS
QUEEN’S AWARDS
Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Alderman Stephen Ross, Lord-Lieutenant for County Antrim Mr David McCorkell KStJ, Sandra Adair, Northern Ireland representative of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and Master of Ceremonies John Adair with committee members and volunteers from River Bann and Lough Neagh Association.
DOUBLE CELEBRATION AS VOLUNTEER GROUPS RECEIVE QUEEN’S AWARD Two groups from Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough are celebrating after receiving the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services (QAVS), the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK. Whiteabbey Community Group and River Bann and Lough Neagh Association were presented with the prestigious accolade by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for County Antrim, Mr David McCorkell KStJ.
The QAVS was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee and is known as the MBE for voluntary groups. These awards held extra significance on these occasion as they will be amongst the last certificates signed by ‘Elizabeth R’. Whiteabbey Community Group received the coveted award for 32 years of community work and projects, while the River Bann and Lough Neagh Association
Directors of River Bann and Lough Neagh Association Michael Stevenson, Kevin LeQuesne (secretary), Drew Nelson (chairman) and Robert McCormac with Lord-Lieutenant for County Antrim Mr David McCorkell KStJ
were awarded for their conservation and preservation work on Rams Island. A special presentation ceremony took place for Whiteabbey in Mossley Mill and the Old Courthouse in Antrim hosted River Bann and Lough Neagh. Meanwhile, Monkstown Community Association is also set to receive the QAVS at a ceremony in early 2023.
Whiteabbey Community Group volunteer Emma McDonald with Lord-Lieutenant for County Antrim Mr David McCorkell KStJ.
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