A CHARITY which helps people suffering from domestic abuse has received a top award.

Fortalice was given the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service — at a special ceremony at Gorton Monastery in east Manchester.

Gill Smallwood, Director of Services at Fortalice, said: “We are delighted to receive The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The award not only recognises all the hard work our current volunteers do but the work of our volunteer founders. Our volunteers are an outstanding and inspirational group of people who are committed to helping women and children survive domestic abuse.”

Volunteer group Fortalice was established in 1977 by a group of women to assist woman and children who are affected by domestic abuse.

It provides emergency accommodation in 22 self-contained flats and a range of support services to assist women, children and young people who have or are experiencing domestic abuse.

As part of the ceremony, 22 voluntary groups from across the county collected an engraved, commemorative crystal trophy and a certificate signed by Her Majesty the Queen presented by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Warren Smith and the Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Mrs Edith Conn.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Warren Smith, said: “Fortalice is a very worthy award winner. They have an inspiring story and it’s both humbling and heart-warming to hear. Fortalice helps improve the lives of local people and is therefore so deserving of this prestigious award, the equivalent to getting an MBE, which champions best practice in volunteering.

“Without Fortalice there would be substantial socio-economic effects on public spending and an impact on health and emergency services and housing needs. The work carried out by this group represents an area of care that is not provided anywhere in the region and would otherwise cost the police and local authority time and money.”

The former broadcast journalist Martyn Lewis CBE said: “I warmly congratulate all of the inspirational voluntary groups who have been rewarded for their community work with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The judging panel for this year’s awards were struck by the quality and breadth of all the successful groups. The thousands of volunteers who give up spare time to help others in their community and to help solve problems demonstrate the best of democracy in action.”

The closing date for nominations for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2016 is September 18.

For information on how to nominate a group, visit: www.manchesterlieutenancy.org or www.gov.uk/queens-award-for-voluntary-service.