Red Coat Guides pick up prestigious award

Published: 14 October 2019

Exeter’s much-loved Red Coats have picked up the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

They received the award from her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Devon at a ceremony on Friday at County Hall.

The Red Coats, a familiar sight around Exeter, operate throughout the year. The free guided walking tours offer visitors the perfect way to explore Exeter and get to know the city’s history.

The Red Coats are one of 281 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations and awards has increased year on year since the awards were introduced in 2002, 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.  Winners are announced each year on 2 June – the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.

Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse.  They include volunteers helping people overcome mental health problems through sport, volunteers using caravans as mobile cafe/information centres in geographically remote locations and another group mentoring children who have a parent in prison.

Cllr Rachel Sutton, Lead Councillor for Climate and Culture, said it was “an honour and a privilege” to be present at the award ceremony for the Red Coats.