We are absolutely delighted and incredibly proud to announce that our awesome charity Roseberry Community Consortium has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service — the highest award given to local voluntary groups across the United Kingdom.

Roseberry Community Consortium, a group of volunteers based in Stockton-on-Tees have been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2026. This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.

This is a truly special moment in time for our charity and a wonderful recognition of the dedication, kindness and community spirit that makes Roseberry Community Consortium what it is today.

The charity was founded in 2008 by present chairman and secretary, Paul Scott and Adam Sayers. As a child, Paul’s daughter Serenity Scott attended stage school, after a conversation with Serenity the birth of the idea was born. Paul and Adam both shared the notion that regardless of economic background all children and young people should always be able to have access to music tuition and all other creative activities and that children/young people whose parents were unable to afford the fees should not miss out.

Paul enlisted Adam, both professional musicians and they began offering free music lessons from a church hall in Middlesbrough.
When the church hall was repurposed, the charity moved to the Skinner Street building in Stockton-on-Tees becoming the umbrella organisation which is today known as Roseberry Community Consortium, encompassing StarmakerZ, Neuro Network (originally Dyspraxia Awareness) and Street Safe Self Defence. In 2022 they began delivering the government funded HAF project during the school holidays, which proved very popular. StarmakerZ music collective choir which was formed for neurodiverse and neurotypical members, welcoming people of any ability to sing. Other innovations followed, a dance studio, podcast studio, climbing wall, kitchen, arts and craft room, photography and film-making and the charity are in the process of opening a mechanical workshop for preparation for work training purposes.
More recent projects include a Saturday cafe, a weekly eco shop, offering low cost food to the local community and Revise2Rise which gives free tuition in maths and English, up to A level standard by a qualified tutor. Roseberry Community Consortium now has over 40 volunteers who are happy to give up their time and pass on their specialised knowledge, unique life skills and experience to our young people.
The charity has never lost sight of the original ethos of offering all its services at no cost to the user.

Paul Scott, chairman, said “An infinity of forests lays dormant in the dreams of one acorn. I am immensely proud of our epic adventure to see the genesis, the humble beginnings, to what we have become today.”

Adam Sayers, secretary said: “It cannot be underestimated the changes in children’s lives we can make offering new skills and learning opportunities to our young people who attend our charity.”

Mike Butterwick CBE, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Roseberry Community Consortium has been awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service today.

A Community to Be Proud Of

At the heart of everything we do are the children/young people/parents/carers and of course our Army of awesome volunteers who make our community so amazing. This award is not just a celebration of our Charity; it is a celebration for all who have been part of our epic journey.

To all our beneficiaries, thank you. Thank you for your trust, your support, your enthusiasm and for being such an important part of our community. You inspire our team every day, and it is a privilege to work alongside you, support you and see the positive difference that comes from community cohesion and bringing people together.

You have helped create a community where people feel welcomed, valued and connected — a place where everyone matters, everyone has something to offer, and no one should feel they have to face things alone.

This award belongs to our community just as much as it belongs to us.

Celebrating the Power of Volunteering

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service recognises the outstanding contribution that volunteers make to communities across the UK. Receiving this honour is a powerful reminder of just how much can be achieved when people come together with compassion, commitment and a shared purpose to help shape our community for the better.

We are immensely grateful to our volunteers, supporters and everyone who gives their time, energy and heart to help make our work possible. Every act of kindness, every helping hand and every moment spent supporting others contributes to something much bigger.

It is these everyday acts of generosity that build stronger connections, create opportunities and make our community a better place to live, work and together we have thrived.

Looking Ahead with Pride and Gratitude

As we celebrate this incredible achievement, we also look forward to the future with excitement. This recognition encourages us to continue doing what we do best: bringing people together whilst developing confidence through creativity in children/young people, supporting our community and creating positive opportunities for everyone.

We know that the real value of our work lies not just in awards or recognition, but in the friendships formed, the confidence built, the smiles shared and the difference made to people’s lives.

We will continue to build on the strong foundations we have created together, always guided by our belief in the power of community and the importance of helping one another.

Thank You for Being Part of Our Journey

From everyone at Roseberry Community Consortium, thank you to every beneficiary, volunteer, supporter and friend who has helped make this achievement possible.

You have helped create something truly special, and we could not be anymore prouder of the community we share.

This award is a moment to celebrate everything we have achieved together — and a reminder of all the wonderful things we can continue to accomplish as a community.

Here’s to Roseberry Community Consortium, to our amazing community, and to every person who makes it such a special place to belong.

With heartfelt thanks and immense pride,

Roseberry Community Consortium Team