JVN Blog

The Mayors

The Prestigious Award

Letter From Mayor of London

Letter from Her Majesty The Queen

The Proud Gathering

A summer reception at the Grove Hotel, Hertfordshire, saw JVN celebrate a landmark achievement having recently received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Sixty people, including volunteers, key charities and volunteer managers were guests at the event hosted by JVN Life Patron Daniel Levy. A number of local dignitaries also attended including The Worshipful Mayor of Barnet, Brian Salinger, The Worshipful Mayor of Hertsmere, Charles Goldstein, The Civic Mayor of Watford (Chair of the Watford Borough Council), Councillor Jagtar Singh Dhindsa and Under Secretary of State for Industry and Energy, Rt. Hon. Richard Harrington, MP for Watford.

Daniel Levy, co-owner of the Grove Hotel, said “It was a privilege to be engaged with a charity that is making such a difference to the Jewish community and especially to the wider community.” He noted that providing volunteering opportunities that cross faith and cultural boundaries is so important in our fractured society today. Mr Levy shared with the audience that JVN is now saving the charity sector close to £3 million per annum through the volunteers they provide and this is done on an “incredibly low budget”.

Richard Harrington MP, having grown up in Leeds, pointed out that he became very involved in volunteering at a young age, which has become a lifetime passion. Organisations like JVN, he said, which connect volunteers to so many charities must be better supported to set the benchmark for strong volunteer management and he hopes that the Government will recognise this.

President of JVN, Ros Preston OBE, explained that she had been involved with the charity since its inception 10 years ago this year and it has been both an honour and a privilege for her to see it develop. She particularly wanted to thank all the volunteers who make such a difference to the charity sector, and the small JVN staff team and office volunteers who contribute wholeheartedly to make JVN the success that it is today.

Leonie Lewis, Director of JVN, reiterated her thanks to all those gathered and presented a replica of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service to Ros Preston and JVN Chairman David Lazarus. Leonie said, “This award is the culmination of 10 years of hard work and the dedication of so many people, including our trustees, advisory board and key partner charities.” She continued, “We hope that it is a springboard for the sustainability of JVN and its place as the leading portal for volunteering in the Jewish and faith-based community.”

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is seen as the equivalent of an MBE for the voluntary sector and represents the highest accolade for any UK charity. As part of winning the award, JVN’s Chairman, David Lazarus, was invited to attend a Royal garden party at Buckingham Palace. JVN also received the commemorative glass award from the Lord Lieutenant (the Queen’s Deputy) with other London winners at a special ceremony earlier this summer.

JVN was the brainchild of the late Dr Judy Citron and Susan Winton, the immediate past Chairman, who co-founded the charity. Since its inception, it has grown exponentially. To date, JVN has nearly 8,000 volunteers registered on the website and over 400 charities who utilise its services. This ensures that charities connect to thousands of willing and suitable individuals. JVN has been connecting potential and existing volunteers to volunteering opportunities with Jewish and non-Jewish charities for the past 10 years.

For more information on JVN, how you can volunteer or access volunteering opportunities contact us on 020 8203 6427 x 3 or via our website www.jvn.org.uk