A CHARITY that offers help and hope to women and children fleeing domestic violence has won the country’s highest award given to voluntary groups.

Fortalice is the only Bolton organisation to be given the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service this year.

Local assessment panels forwarded nominations to the National Award Committee, which made recommendations to the Cabinet Office and the Queen approved the final list.

Gill Smallwood, Director of Services at Fortalice, said she was “absolutely delighted” about the Queen’s Award.

She said: “Apart from being a great honour for Fortalice, it’s recognition of the really amazing work that all our volunteers do right across the organisation. We simply couldn’t manage without them.”

The charity runs a purpose-designed refuge, Lewis House, with 22 flats providing temporary respite, from weeks to months, for more than 100 women and over 250 children each year.

The Support Centre runs at another venue. Fortalice has 33 contracted staff, 19 volunteers across the refuge and 39 volunteer counsellors as well as a 12-strong board of volunteers.

It provides refuge accommodation, support and front-line services for women and children affected by domestic abuse and has been fulfilling this vital role in the town since it was started by volunteers in 1977.

It also runs education programmes for women and children trying to break the abuse cycle, training professionals and offering one-to-one sessions with experts. The charity has ongoing Healthy Relationships’ courses in schools for youngsters of all ages.

Volunteers regularly fundraise for Fortalice. Gene Spurr notably heads a festive gift-wrapping group of more than 100 volunteers in The Market Place which annually nets hundreds of pounds for the charity.

Fortalice will receive a certificate signed by the Queen and a domed glass crystal trophy at an awards’ ceremony at Manchester’s Gorton Monastery on August 3.