The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation (TMDF), a Northamptonshire charity who provide a range of community welfare services, have been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
TMDF provides essential food supplies to multiple Northamptonshire organisations, including 70+ Northamptonshire schools, and other vital groups like The Northampton Domestic Abuse Service and local Mental health services. TMDF also reduces social isolation with its social clubs, which target locally identified demographics. These groups focus on wellbeing, ensuring no member of the community is left struggling or alone. TMDF also offers home and garden renovations and educational services.
TMDF is one of 262 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. Their work, along with others from across the UK, reminds us of all the ways fantastic volunteers are contributing to their local communities and working to make life better for those around them. The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to benefit their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee and, following his accession, His Majesty The King emphasised his desire to continue the Award. Recipients are announced annually on 14th November, The King’s Birthday. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse and include volunteer groups from across the UK, such as a social support network for disabled adults in Banffshire; a charity using a refurbished pool as a community hub in south Wales; volunteer doctors providing pre-hospital care across rural Cumbria and a village renewal organisation promoting sustainability, equality and social inclusion in County Antrim.
Representatives from The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation will receive the award crystal and certificate from James Saunders-Watson, Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. In addition, the charity have been invited to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May and June 2024, along with other recipients of this year’s Award.
Teresa McCarthy-Dixon, founder of TMDF said: “We are so, so honoured to receive this award. Our amazing team of volunteers are the absolute heart of our charity and we couldn’t do what we do without their amazing, continued support. It is a delight to have made such a significant impact in Northamptonshire, and for everybody’s hard work to be recognised in such a fantastic way. I want to say a huge thanks to all of our volunteers, trustees and donors, this wouldn’t have been possible without all of your support.”
Steve Summers, Chair of the Charity’s Board of Trustees, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the outstanding dedication and commitment of our volunteers and trustees has been recognised with this prestigious award”.
If you’d like to support The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation, you can head over to their LocalGiving page here: https://localgiving.org/charity/the-mccarthy-dixon-foundation/ or support their Christmas 2023 Appeal here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/tmdfchristmas2023?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=one_page&utm_content=campaign/tmdfchristmas2023&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=ad539802cc9f42ad85b4db835b31883f
If you’d like to volunteer with the charity, you can get in touch with them via: hello@mccarthydixon.org.uk.
