Double royal delight for south Warwickshire charities awarded with King’s Award

Two South Warwickshire charities, talkdementia and Compassionate Kenilworth, have received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service – the highest honour a UK voluntary group can receive.

The award recognises work supporting local communities and is announced annually every 14 November on the King’s birthday.

The two charities will receive the award from the King’s Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Tim Cox. An opportunity for two representatives of the charities to attend the King’s Royal Garden Party will follow.

“This honour is a true reflection of the dedication, compassion, and community spirit shown by everyone involved – our volunteers, partners, and supporters who make such a difference every day”

Paul Dowler, co-founder of talkdementia

Talkdementia provides advice and emotional support for families of people living with dementia in south Warwickshire. Founded by husband-and-wife Pual and Heather Dowler in 2021, it was a continuation of the Wellesbourne Dementia Café, which Heather started in 2016.

The group is supported by 35 volunteers from the area who work alongside national charities and medical professionals at six dementia-friendly cafes across south Warwickshire.

Compassionate Kenilworth is a charity that works to tackle social isolation and loneliness by providing free and easy-to-access support via learning, social engagement, and creativity in effort to create a more connected community in south Warwickshire.

Compassionate Kenilworth’s Volunteer Operations Manager, Pauline Hayward, expressed her pride at the group’s royal recognition:“I’m absolutely thrilled and incredibly proud that Compassionate Kenilworth has been recognised with a King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

”This honour is a true reflection of the dedication, compassion, and community spirit shown by everyone involved – our volunteers, partners, and supporters who make such a difference every day.”

The two charities have worked tirelessly to make south Warwickshire a better place for its constituents, and the reward is a much-deserved reflection of that

Paul Dowler of talkdementia highlighted the importance of their volunteers and what the award means to them: “Talkdementia has no paid staff, we are therefore incredibly proud and privileged to have been given the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service, which recognises the dedication shown by the volunteers, who willingly give their time, patience and understanding while changing their own lives to help other people.”

Equivalent to an MBE, the King’s Award is the highest honour a UK voluntary group can receive.

The two charities have worked tirelessly to make south Warwickshire a better place for its constituents, and the reward is a much-deserved reflection of that.