Category: manchester

We are thrilled and delighted that Manchester Parents Group has won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. MPG has been a Levenshulme Pride partner and participant since our first year and will be familiar to many people from their work across Manchester, the North West and beyond over many years.

Founded in 1986, the group is one of the longest established parent support groups in the UK. Offering advice and support to parents, carers, family and friends of children (of all ages) who have come out as LGBT+ to enable them to accept and move forward together. The group also support the LGBT+ community in continuing the fight for equality, both in the UK and across Europe, and provide a safe haven for youngsters who are struggling to come out to family and friends or have been rejected by them. You can find out more about Manchester Parents Group HERE

Manchester Parents Group’s Chair, Barbara Spence says:

“We are delighted that this culmination of many years’ work has been recognised, we would particularly like to pay tribute to Catherine Johnson, the late Joyce Leyland and the late Brenda Oakes all of who led Manchester Parents Group from its inception. We would also like to thank the group of volunteers for their commitment, over the years, in supporting the work of the group.”

Manchester Parents Group is one of 230 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations remains high year on year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them. 

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation. 

Representatives of Manchester Parents Group will receive the award from Sir Warren Smith, the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, later this summer. Furthermore, two volunteers from Manchester Parents Group will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2021, along with other recipients of this year’s Award.

This year there were 230 recipients of The Queen’s Award Voluntary Service from across the UK. More information on the recipients and the Award can be found HERE