A charity has been given the honour of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Dartmouth Caring is celebrating its Royal seal of approval one month before the charity’s 30th birthday.

The Queen’s Award, the highest available to voluntary sector organisations is only awarded to groups that can demonstrate excellence in volunteering.

It has the equivalent status to the MBE and is a reward to all those volunteers and those who work for the charity, who regularly give their time for the benefit of others.

The charity provides a range of services within the community in and around Dartmouth including around 4000 journeys each year, assistance with benefit claims, a memory cafe, a luncheon club, a reading group and help with personal shopping and befriending.

Across Devon this year there was one other winner, the SSAFA Devon Branch, alongside Dartmouth Caring.

Dartmouth Caring will be thanking their volunteers and staff later this year as part of the 30th birthday festivities.

Some volunteers and staff will be presented with the award by Devon’s Lord Lieutenant, David Fursdon-the Queen’s personal representative in the county, at a special ceremonial event later in the year.

Chair of Dartmouth Caring, Dee Nutt said: “I am absolutely delighted that the charity has received this award in recognition for all the work we have been doing to support those in need in the town and local villages.  

“It is especially wonderful that this comes one month shy of our 30th Birthday.  I would like to thank all the volunteers and staff, present and past, that have made this possible."

In addition, manager of Dartmouth Caring, Nick Hindmarsh said: “I am grateful that the thorough selection process not only recognised all the visible work the charity does, such as the lunch clubs in the market square, but also fully understood the impact of the considerable work done, out of sight, by volunteers and staff in people’s homes and in the office, because this is often where we have the greatest impact on people’s lives.

“I would also like to thank all those who nominated us for this wonderful accolade and met with the assessors when they came to see us in action, it is thanks to all of them and their efforts that we have been recognised so publicly "