Queen's Award

Fibro Active Receives the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

Fibro Active in Long Eaton, has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.  In November 2021 the team was presented the award.  To see the full gallery and more information then please visit their webpage:

Fibro Active - The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service - Fibromyalgia Support Group Long Eaton

Fibro Active is a support group for people with Fibromyalgia (FM) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and their carers. It is part of Strictly No Falling in Derbyshire, and uses their own ‘Small Steps to Health’, Tai Chi programme. It is open to the community and especially to those at risk of trips and falls.

It is a positive and inclusive group that focuses on healthy lifestyle, light exercise, emotional support and the sharing of information. Members are educated about their condition offering help to move forward with their acceptance and management of the illness.

Queen's Award for Voluntary Services

Fibro Active is one of 230 diverse charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations remains high year on year, 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 was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. The Award recognises outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.

Representatives of Fibro Active will receive the award from Mr. William Tucker, Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire later this summer. Furthermore, two volunteers from Fibro Active will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2021, along with other recipients of this year’s Award.

'Delighted'

Fibro Active’s Chairperson, Julie Barker says ‘I am delighted that Fibro Active has been recognised for the bespoke support we give to our members and the additional service we give to the community. I’d like to pay tribute to our volunteer committee members and professionals who grasped the concept of the group. They have gifted their time and expertise to enable sufferers to move forward with their lives with Fibro/CFS/ME. I would also like to acknowledge our members who come through the door on their darkest days and over time are empowered to give back to the group taking on a variety of volunteer opportunities.’

Jo Briggs, Falls Prevention Service Manager for Age UK DD, started working with Julie about 4 years ago when she first started the support groups for people with fibro and ME. She commented: “It has grown and even though she suffers from fibro herself it never stands in her way.  She qualified and continues to train to teach Tai Chi and delivers 4 sessions for SNF in Long Eaton with Jayne.  Between them during the lockdown they have continued to offer their Tai Chi sessions via Zoom.”

More information on the Award

More information on the recipients and the Award can be found at https://www.gov.uk/queens-award-for-voluntary-service