A group of magistrates have been given "the highest award a local voluntary group can receive". The Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Association has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2024. This is the "highest" award a voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
The group of magistrates give up their time to deliver free workshops to schools, colleges, and community groups. Their aim is to raise awareness of the role of the Magistracy and engage with young people across Greater Manchester to help them make "better choices within the law". They run sessions on topical issues such as knife crime and cyberbullying through interactive quizzes, virtual reality workshops, and mock trial competitions.
They work alone and in partnership with Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Early Break, Virtual Decisions, and Crimestoppers. In addition, they organise visits to prisons and the probation service and raise funds to support their work in the community. Last year, Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Association volunteers conducted 197 visits and reached 8,560 young people across all ten Greater Manchester boroughs.
The Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Association is one of 281 charities, social enterprises, and voluntary groups to receive the award this year. The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise 'outstanding work' by volunteer groups which support their communities. It was created i.
