The highest award given to local volunteer groups, the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, is being awarded to five organisations across Wales today in recognition of their outstanding community service.

Charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will receive the prestigious award for their volunteer-led work they have done across a wide range of fields including mental health, youth, community, arts and heritage.

This year 244 winners from across the country will receive the Queen’s Award, highlighting the continued breadth and depth of voluntary service undertaken each and every day across the United Kingdom.

The awardees have all carried out critical work to enhance the lives of others with the highest number of awards this year going to the community support sector which includes  food banks, village shops, community events and men’s sheds.

Minister for Civil Society and Youth Nigel Huddleston said:

Thousands of volunteers in Wales give up their time every year and The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service recognises their kindness.

People’s selfless generosity represents the best of the country and it is right that some of the most impactful groups and individuals have their tireless work recognised.

The awards are particularly notable in this special year of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Sir Martyn Lewis, QAVS Chair said:

I warmly congratulate all the outstanding voluntary groups who have been rewarded with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service this year. The level of commitment and innovation shown by these volunteers is truly impressive. We owe a debt of gratitude to them, and the countless others who give up their free time regularly to improve the lives of others in their community.

Empowering others is also an area well represented in this year’s Queen’s Award with confidence building, training opportunities, educational support, and sports all being highly recognised. Volunteers working in hospices, cancer support, long-term illness, search and rescue and first aid also feature prominently.

Coinciding with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service recognises that volunteers continue to provide a vital social function and continue to improve access to services across the country.

Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said:

Wales has a long-standing tradition of volunteers who put considerable time and passion into making their communities better for everyone. I’m so delighted that these efforts have been recognised by this prestigious award.

I’d like to congratulate the winners and take this opportunity to thank them for all that they do. Volunteers really do make a difference to our lives and we’re lucky that we have so many fantastic individuals who work tirelessly on behalf of others and contribute so much to our Nation”.

This year’s recipients include:

• Cymru Creations is a team of professionals who give their time to run an award-winning film academy, helping young people to create their own films and develop skills.
• The Corey Band is a long-standing and renowned brass band doing great work to engage and develop the next generation through its own academy.
• The Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team which is providing a mountain rescue service to local people and visitors, as well as education talks to schools, youth groups and the public.
• Friends R Us Aberdare is a group providing an environment that is safe and inclusive where those struggling with social and mental health issues can relax and socialise.
• Neuadd Cwmllynfell Hall is a community hub providing a whole range of services to the whole community in an area of deprivation.

The advice follows initial guidance published on 30 May 2022 and will help people to look after themselves during their isolation period and protect others by reducing the risk of spreading the infection.

Household members are at the highest risk of becoming infected from a case within their house. The new guidance advises people with monkeypox infection to take steps to try and limit transmission within the household.

Monkeypox infection mainly spreads between people through direct, skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact. Infection can also be spread via contaminated objects such as linen and soft furnishings.

The guidance advises that, where possible, cases are encouraged to sleep and eat in a separate room and use a separate bathroom to their household if possible. Good hygiene measures, to follow at all times, have also been set out.

Where the use of a separate room isn’t possible, cases should avoid physical contact and keep at least 3 steps (1 metre) away from all household members. It is particularly important that they avoid close contact with young children, pregnant women and immunosuppressed people as they may be at higher risk of serious illness.

Other advice includes keeping laundry separate from other household members and avoiding any close contact with pets. The full advice can be viewed on GOV.UK.

Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA, said:

Self-isolation is an important measure for protecting others from monkeypox.

Staying at home and doing all we can to avoid close contact with other people in the household will prevent the spread of this virus.

We know that self-isolation is not easy for some so it’s important that people ask for support if needed.

The guidance also advises on the criteria that cases should meet before they can end their isolation.

Individuals should:

• not have had a high temperature for at least 72 hours
• ensure all lesions, anywhere on the body, have scabbed over – additionally, any scabs on the face, arms and hands must have fallen off, with a fresh layer of skin formed underneath
• have had no new lesions form in the previous 48 hours
• have no lesions in their mouth

Cases will have been provided with contact details of the medical team providing their care and they will be in contact regularly. They should call this team if they have any concerns – and ending isolation should be on the advice of this team.

On ending self-isolation, people should keep any remaining lesions (that are not on the face, arms or hands) covered with clothing. They should avoid close contact with young children, pregnant women and immunosuppressed people until the scabs on all their lesions have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed underneath.

Self-isolation guidance also recognises that staying at home for a prolonged period can be difficult, frustrating and lonely for some, particularly if they don’t have much space or access to a garden.

People who are self-isolating are advised to keep in touch with family and friends by phone or social media and seek support if they need it, for example by accessing the Every Mind Matters website.

Thank you, Chair.

The United Kingdom would like to thank Poland for adding this important issue to the agenda.

Chair, the Russian Federations assault on Ukraine is an unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic state. The United Kingdom continues to utterly condemn the Russian government’s actions in Ukraine, which are an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter.

We remain gravely concerned about the implications for nuclear safety, security and safeguards of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Since the start of Russia’s invasion, nuclear facilities in Ukraine have been struck by military ordnance on at least four occasions and at least five Ukrainian nuclear facilities have experienced significant disruptions to their normal operations.

On 3 March, at an extraordinary meeting of this Board we adopted a resolution on ‘The safety, security and safeguards implications of the situation in Ukraine’, which deplored the actions of the Russian Federation, which posed a serious threat to the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine. The resolution called for the Russian Federation to cease all its actions against nuclear facilities in Ukraine, so the competent Ukrainian authorities can ensure their safe and secure operation, and so that the Agency can resume its important safeguards verification activities.

On 4 March – one day after the resolution was adopted – Russia became the first State in the history of the use of nuclear energy to fire at a fully fuelled and functioning nuclear reactor at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

The United Kingdom convened an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to condemn the Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia, and to call for Russia to act in line with its international obligations. As a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia has a particular responsibility to uphold international peace and security.

Unfortunately, since then, Russia has chosen to take control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility, thereby blatantly disregarding the will of this Board and the international community and putting at jeopardy the safety of millions who would be affected by a nuclear incident in Ukraine. This is not the action of a responsible nuclear State.

As the Director General said on Monday, of the seven pillars of nuclear safety and security, almost all have been violated by Russia’s actions. Russia’s continued control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, including the presence of officials from ROSATOM who have overseen the work of the Ukrainian regulator, is also contrary to the principles Russia has freely signed up to in the Convention of Nuclear Safety and in the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management.

We also remain seriously concerned that Russia’s continued control of the Zaporizhzhia facility is preventing the competent Ukrainian authorities and Agency inspectors from carrying out their essential safeguards duties.

We welcome and fully support the Director General’s efforts to ensure the safety, security and safeguarding of nuclear material and facilities in Ukraine and we praise the IAEA staff who have responded to the situation.

We urgently call on the Russian Federation to cease all unlawful activities in Ukraine. It must de-escalate, withdraw its troops and cease all use of force against, and in the vicinity of, Ukrainian nuclear facilities and allow the competent Ukrainian authorities unfettered access, with no conditions, to all nuclear facilities on Ukraine’s sovereign territory.

Finally Chair, the United Kingdom would like to recognise and praise the heroic efforts of the Ukrainian staff at Ukrainian nuclear facilities, particularly at Zaporizhzhia and Chornobyl, who continue to work tirelessly to ensure nuclear safety in Ukraine, despite working under immense pressure and dealing with unacceptable aggression from the Russian Federation.

Thank you, Chair.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack today [9 June] visited Teesside Freeport in Middlesbrough.

With just over a week to go before bidding closes on the competition for the two Scottish Green Freeports, Mr Jack met the operators of the Teesside Freeport to hear about the benefits to businesses and the local community of their Freeport status.

The UK Government is investing up to £52 million to bring two Green Freeports to Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Government. The new hubs will support the regeneration of communities in Scotland, bring jobs and prosperity, and support UK Government work to level up all parts of the United Kingdom.

Following a twelve-week process, bids from prospective operators need to be in by 10am on Monday 20 June. Bidders must set out how they will regenerate their area, create high quality jobs, and support transition to a net-zero economy.

Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said:

I was very pleased to visit the Teesside Freeport today, and hear first-hand how their Freeport status is helping attract business, investment and jobs to the area.

As the first in the UK, it is a fantastic example of what can be achieved, securing multimillion-pound investments in renewables production to contribute to our long-term energy security.

UK Freeports are a key part of the UK Government’s Levelling Up strategy – they will bring innovation, jobs, prosperity and regeneration. It is great news that we will shortly bring two UK Freeports to Scotland. There is a huge amount of interest from Scottish operators, and I look forward to seeing a strong set of bids.

Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, said:

It was an honour to welcome the Scottish Secretary to the Teesside Freeport and show him everything we’re achieved in just a few short months since its launch. We’re pioneering the cleaner, healthier and safer industries of the future, with many of them coming to our area because of our Freeport status.

Alister Jack is just the latest minister we’ve welcomed to Teesworks and our Freeport. We’ve hosted everyone, from politicians such as Michael Gove MP, the Levelling Up Secretary, and Helen Whately MP, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, to business bosses like BP’s CEO Bernard Looney and Barclays CEO CS Venkatakrishnan.

Our Freeport is on course to supercharge Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool, creating thousands of good quality, well-paid jobs and driving billions into the local economy.

UK Freeports are special areas where different economic regulations apply. Freeports are centred around one or more air, rail, or seaport, and can extend up to 45km beyond the port(s).

Any sea, air or rail port can apply as part of a consortium with other businesses, the council, and other relevant public bodies. Any consortium wishing to bid to establish a Green Freeport must guarantee that local communities will benefit from it, as well as delivering on ambitious targets for Net Zero.

Covering 4,500 acres, the Teesside Freeport was the first of the UK Freeports to open, in November last year. It is expected to create more than 18,000 new highly skilled jobs over the next five years, and generate billions for the local economy. It has already secured multimillion-pound investment from GE Renewables to build a new offshore wind blade manufacturing plant.

Further information about the Teesside Freeport can be found here.

Further information about the bidding process for the Scottish Green Freeports can be found here.