Local Homeless Initiative Wins Queen's Award

The Shelter Project which started off in Chiswick churches gets honour

The Shelter Project's Kitchen-team-Monday

The Shelter Project Hounslow, which offers accommodation in local churches to homeless men in winter months has won a Queen's Award for Voluntary Services. The project, which now involves churches across the borough of Hounslow, was originally set up at Christ Church Turnham Green,and has expanded to other churches of all faiths.

Two other winners of the Queen's Award are also from the borough.

They are the Bridgelink Centre (the Ivybridge Estate) – supporting and empowering a multi-cultural community in an area of economic deprivation, and Metropolitan Water Board Railway Society – restoring and operating an industrial steam railway to provide a community attraction and preserve local heritage.

The Shelter Project Hounslow works providing accommodation and meals for homeless men during the winter and helping them find employment and permanent homes

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities. It is the MBE for voluntary groups. The awards were created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and winners are announced each year on 2 June – the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.


The Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London, Mr Kenneth Olisa OBE, said, “There are a huge number of dedicated volunteer groups in London, whose work deserves to be recognized. We meet them every day.

"You and I know that volunteers are the ‘glue’ which holds communities together and their good work does much to counteract society’s naysayers who argue that we live in an unfeeling city.”

June 12, 2017