HUNDREDS of volunteers at East Oxford children’s hospice Helen & Douglas House have been honoured by the Queen for their fund-raising work.

David Cryer, head of retail for the charity, received the Queen’s Award on behalf of the hospice from the Princess Royal in Bicester yesterday.

He said: “We have got 1,200 volunteers in Oxfordshire and the award is recognition of what they do for the charity.”

A total of 14 organisations in Oxfordshire were nominated for the prestigious Queen Award for Voluntary Services.

Receiving the commendation alongside Helen & Douglas House were the Prison Phoenix Trust, Banbury Young Homelessness Project (BYHP) and Windrush Valley Amateur Boxing Club, based in West Oxfordshire.

It was a double appointment, as Princess Anne also officially opened the £1.6m John Paul ll Centre at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, in the Causeway.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was created in 2002 as part of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee year and is given to a select few organisations each year.

Tim Stevenson, Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, said: “It is a prestigious award of value to those who win it and is a pat on the back for volunteers for what they do. It is a very difficult award to win.”

A team of hospice shop volunteers were at the presentation along with the Laurie family from Bicester, which is supported by the hospice.

Catherine Laurie was with husband Richard and their children Ellie, 10, and Thomas, seven, who has Cockayne syndrome, a genetic premature ageing condition.

Mrs Laurie said: “It was lovely to meet the princess and as parishioners we were really pleased to be invited here for the official unveiling of the hall.”

Ellie and Thomas got a chance to chat to the Princess.

Ellie said: “The Princess said I looked very pretty and I said ‘thank you’.”

Wendy Nicholls, who volunteers at the Banbury branch of the Helen & Douglas shop, said: “It is an honour and privilege to get the award.”

Ron Barnett, chairman of the board of trustees at BYHP, said getting the award was “absolutely wonderful”.

He added: “Without volunteers working alongside staff we would not achieve what we do and that’s support young people.”

The Prison Phoenix Trust, which runs 138 yoga and meditation classes in 83 prisons across the country, was also delighted to receive the award.

Sam Settle, director of the North Oxford-based trust, said: “We support prisoners and prison officers up and down the country who want to use yoga and meditation as a way of doing their time more easily.”