BANKIE Talk, which supports the visually impaired, has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in its 26th year.

The organisation was established in 1989 to provide information and library services to blind and visually impaired people, many of whom are isolated due to increasing age and visual loss.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities.

Trustees and volunteers from Bankie talk will attend a garden party at Holyrood on July 1, 2015 where they will meet the Queen and will formally receive their award from the Lord Lieutenant of West Dunbartonshire later this summer.

Carol Ann Gallagher of Bankie Talk said: “As the chairperson of Bankie Talk, I am delighted that our work in supporting people living with a visual impairment in Clydebank has been recognised with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. It is a true honour for all the dedicated trustees and volunteers who have given their time so willingly over the last 26 years.

“We are at our heart a true community led organisation, providing essential contact and communication for our members ­— a service we know they truly appreciate and support. I would like to particularly recognise our team of volunteers for the thousands of hours of work they commit to us each year — each action benefiting the lives of our members.

“We accept this honour on behalf of everyone associated with Bankie Talk and look forward to many years of service in the future.” Bankie Talk is one of 187 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service this year.

The awards were created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and winners are announced each year on June 2, the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.

Award winners this year range from Ablaze, a charity helping to raise academic achievement amongst disadvantaged young people in Bristol to a volunteer rescue boat service on Loch Lomond.

Martyn Lewis CBE, chairman of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Committee, said: “I warmly congratulate all of the inspirational voluntary groups who have been rewarded for their community work with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The judging panel for this year’s awards were struck by the quality and breadth of all the successful groups. The thousands of volunteers who give up spare time to help others in their community and to help solve problems demonstrate the best of democracy in action.”