The Conies, the Birmingham-based children’s safety charity, is proud to announce that it has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest accolade given to volunteer groups across the UK.
Equivalent to an MBE, this prestigious award recognises outstanding work by volunteer groups that benefit their local communities. “Receiving The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is a tremendous honour,” said Fay Goodman, the Founder and Chair of The Conies, a cartoon family of road traffic cones that have been educating primary schoolchildren in all areas of their safety in an engaging and fun-filled way.
“This recognition is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our volunteers who strive to boost the creativity, health and life-saving skills of children aged 4 to 11 across the West Midlands in a way that resonates with them. It also recognises the partnerships we have built with schools and other organisations that have made a positive impact on the lives of young children.”
The King's Award for Voluntary Service, formerly known as The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, was created in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Awarded groups receive a certificate signed by His Majesty the King and a domed glass crystal, symbolising their significant contributions to society. Representatives from The Conies will receive their award and certificate from the Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands in the coming months.
Since 2017, more than 300,000 children have taken part in The Conies' Walking to School Safely course, which uses interactive techniques to teach road safety. The related journal, which is available in interactive form on The Conies website, also encourages healthy habits including sensible eating, dressing appropriately, and personal hygiene.
Pilot programmes showed full engagement, highlighting the effectiveness of The Conies’ approach to safety and health education. The new Conies Safe Explorers initiative, a programme of free workshops for children supported by the Community Lottery, uses creative arts to promote safety awareness, self-confidence, spatial reasoning, and collaboration.
The Conies’ latest animation, Brushing Your Teeth, continues this mission by turning vital hygiene messages into catchy songs and memorable visuals that make learning fun. The video can be viewed on The Conies’ website: www.theconies.org/brushingyourteeth.
Fay Goodman, who is also a highly qualified martial artist, personal safety trainer, author and musician, said: “The Conies are committed to becoming national standard bearers in personal safety and self-improvement, inspiring children to take their health and safety seriously as well as make a positive difference in their daily lives.”
The charity encourages schools, parents, and children to take part in the exciting adventures of the Conies characters, while keeping up with new initiatives on their website and social media. Additionally, the organisation welcomes support, collaboration and partnerships to help achieve its mission and vision for children’s and young people’s safety.
