TWO volunteer groups in south Bucks have won a royal seal of approval this week after the announcement of the 2011 Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

Friends of Little Chalfont Library and The Chilterns MS Centre Ltd have been announced as two of 130 winners of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

The prize is effectively the MBE for groups of volunteers who work in their local community for the benefit of others, recognising outstanding voluntary contributions.

Little Chalfont Community Library was opened in 2007 after Buckinghamshire County Council closed eight of its 35 libraries. Refusing to sit back and let it happen the village rallied together to re-open a state of the art library which provides the same services as the county council and continues to be popular.

The Friends of Little Chalfont Library volunteers received the award for the success of the project.

The Chilterns Multiple Sclerosis Centre Ltd provides practical help, treatment and support to people with Multiple Sclerosis and their families and has 500 regular patients. It won the award for the way it provided specialist treatment for MS patients from a very wide area, which is not available on the NHS.

Those receiving this year’s Award were selected from 413 groups nominated by members of the public.

Buckingham, Winslow & District Citizens Advice Bureau also won the award.

Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher said: “This has been a successful year for Buckinghamshire nominations. I wish to congratulate everyone associated with all three voluntary groups on achieving their awards and I hope that it will help them to continue with the success that they have achieved thus far. I would also like to pass on my best wishes to those voluntary groups who were unsuccessful this year and hope that they will take the time to resubmit their nominations again in the future” Friends of Little Chalfont Library and The Chilterns MS Centre Ltd will receive a certificate signed by The Queen and an exclusive commemorative crystal, presented by Her Majesty's representative in Buckinghamshire, Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher at a special ceremony arranged by the Lieutenancy office.

The group has also received an invitation for representatives to attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in the summer.

For details of all this year’s Award winners and information on how to nominate a group, go to www.direct.gov.uk/qavs