Volunteer organisations awarded medals of honour

Four organisations that depend largely on volunteers for their work have been awarded a medal of honour by the Flemish parliament: Chiro Brussel, representing youth, the National Orchard Foundation, representing the environment, the Centre for Suicide Prevention, representing the care sector and the non-profit Meters en Peters representing integration.

This week is Week of the Volunteer in Belgium, and the awards are meant to stress the importance of volunteer work. The parliament’s medal of honour traditionally recognises a group that represents some aspect of the parliament’s work. In the past, the medal has gone to recipients in the visual arts, literature, science and social work, either in Belgium or elsewhere in the world.

This year’s choice was “the volunteer” in general. “They are the living proof of solidarity and humanitarian work for the society,” the parliament said in a statement. 

Chiro Brussel is an association of 11 Chiro groups – the Catholic equivalent of the Scouts –  with some 1,000 children and young people under the guidance of 130 leaders. “They demonstrate that children and young people also love to live life to the full in their bilingual and multicultural city,” the statement said.

The National Orchard Foundation works to protect the living heritage of traditional and heirloom fruit varieties, thus ensuring the protection of the landscape and the robust character of Flanders’ fruit-growing industry.

The Centre for Suicide Prevention launched in 1979, with its free phone line 1813, run by trained volunteers 24 hours a day. The centre, the statement said, “shows that volunteer work in the care sector is essential in closing the gap with a particular target group”.

Meters en Peters (Godmothers and Godfathers) in Schilde, Antwerp province, is made up of Dutch language tutors who help young newcomers with integration (pictured) and to find their way in local schools. The group has about 100 volunteers.

The representatives of the four organisations have been invited to receive their medals from parliament chair Jan Peumans in a ceremony at a later date.

photo courtesy Meters en Peters