Olympias Music Foundation wins King’s Award for Voluntary Service

Congratulations to the Olympias Music Foundation (OMF) on receiving The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Created in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee and previously known as The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS), this special accolade has been shining a light on the fantastic work of voluntary groups from across the UK for many years. Now awarded on The King’s birthday each year, The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is the equivalent of the MBE.

Alumna Jo Yee Cheung, who founded the OMF in 2015, said: ‘We are thrilled that our work at Olympias Music Foundation has been recognised through this prestigious award. None of what we do would be possible without the hard work and commitment of our brilliant volunteers, who include students, professional musicians, accountants, photographers, 7-year-olds ‘washing-up monitors’ all the way through to 70-year-old grandparent cooks. Receiving the King’s Award is a testament to the strength and resilience of our community, and our commitment to working together to support children and young people in Manchester reach their musical potential.’

The OMF is the only organisation in Manchester offering free, sustained music lessons to diverse young people from low-income backgrounds. 100% of OMF’s work is directly targeted at hard-to-reach groups experiencing social and economic exclusion. These include children experiencing poverty; individuals from global majority backgrounds (including refugees and asylum seekers); and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. By engaging both children and their parents in musical activities, the charity aims to use music as a catalyst for community integration – bringing the community together through the shared language of music.

In recognition of her services to music education in Manchester, Jo Yee was made an Associate of the RNCM in 2022 and was named as one of our 50Faces in a special campaign celebrating our 50th anniversary.

To learn more about the OMF, click here.

14 November 2023