A Lancaster charity giving creative opportunities to young people has been given the King's Award for Voluntary Service.
The award to Escape2Make is the highest a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
E2M is one of 231 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year.
The charity aims to help 11-18 year olds from all walks of life in the Lancaster and Morecambe area to escape from boredom, social media, loneliness and pressure at school or home by providing free creative activities.
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 Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee and was continued following the accession of King Charles III.
This year marks the third year of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Recipients are announced annually on November 14, The King’s birthday.
Representatives of Escape2Make will receive the award crystal and certificate from Amanda Parker, Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, in the coming months.
In addition, two volunteers from E2M will attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May and June 2026, along with other recipients of this year’s award.
"We are so incredibly lucky and grateful to have such a fantastic group of volunteers," said Kyle McKenzie, CEO of Escape2Make.
"Each one of them has brought so much to the organisation. Their kindness, compassion, and creativity are what make them a key part of Escape2Make’s core. We are thrilled that their work is being recognised and celebrated on such a prestigious level."
Other award winners this year include 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 and a group running a museum and nonprofit railway In Belfast, preserving Northern Ireland's railway heritage.
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