voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
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Options in Life Receives The King’s Award for Voluntary Service
Created: 18/11/2025
News/Events Category: General News
This item will show under the following categories: Children and Families Health and Social Care
Options in Life, a small charity based in Fife, has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2025. This is the highest award a voluntary organisation can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
Options in Life supports young adults with learning disabilities and additional support needs. The charity was founded by a group of parents in 2011, who were frustrated by the lack of local support, post education, for their adult children.
The charity runs group activities which promote social inclusion, skills building and support young adults to become work ready. From learning to paddle board, discovering Scotland’s natural history and creating a short, animated movie about climate change, to running a successful local pop-up café, Options in Life is giving young adults experiences to become confident and inspired about their future.
Options in Life is one of 231 local charities, social enterprises, and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. Their work, along with others from across the UK, reminds us of all the ways fantastic volunteers are contributing to their local communities and working to make life better for those around them.
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Her Late Majesty The Queen’s Golden Jubilee and was continued following the accession of His Majesty The King. 2025 marks the third year of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Recipients are announced annually on 14 November, the King’s birthday. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse and include volunteer groups from across the UK, such as a group of dog walkers clearing up their local area in Kincardineshire; a group providing unique flying experiences for people with disabilities in Hampshire; a group providing support to veterans and their families across Welsh Valley communities; a group running a museum and nonprofit railway in Belfast, preserving Northern Ireland's railway heritage.
Representatives of Options in Life will receive the award crystal and certificate from Robert Balfour, Lord-Lieutenant of Fife in the coming months. In addition, two volunteers from Options in life will attend a Royal Garden Party at Holyroodhouse in July 2026, along with other recipients of this year’s award.
Jim Blyth (Chair of Options in Life) on behalf of the Trustees, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Options in Life has been recognised as an exemplary voluntary organisation. Not many charities can boast about this, and we are thrilled to accept this accolade. “
Options in Life is constantly working to find new ways to support our groups and we are currently refurbishing a building in Cupar that will offer more people across Fife access to our services. The building will have a community café, activity and learning spaces, training kitchen and sensory room, along with a drop-in centre for those with learning disabilities and additional support needs.
But none of what we could do would be possible without the hard work and commitment of our volunteers and wider team.”
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