Royal visit for support centre after King's Award

The founder of a charity in Kent that won the King's Award for Voluntary Service has shared her experience of an "amazing" royal visit.

Maya's Community Support Centre, in Herne Bay, operates a support centre, cafe, food bank and free shop.

Founder Maya Amangeldiyeva said that the visit to the garden party at Buckingham Palace was "very special" and that she was honoured to represent the charity's volunteers.

"Our volunteers are so dedicated, and I am extremely pleased their work and efforts are recognised," she said.

Amangeldiyeva added: "They love what they do because they are giving thousands of people a sense of hope."

Calling the award "particularly special" for the charity, she added: "It is the volunteers who have helped make all our work possible."

Amangeldiyeva said that she felt "inspired" after meeting volunteers from other charities on Tuesday.

"It just reminds you that there are so many good people out there," she added.

She said that she wore an outfit from the charity's shop to "promote sustainable clothing and to reduce the stigma surrounding donated clothing".

"I want to show everyone that you can still look good wearing donated outfits," she added.

The centre has helped thousands of people, both locals and abroad, including those affected by the 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquake, Amangeldiyeva said.

According to the community centre, when it opened its new free shop in October 2025, there were more than 1,300 visitors.

It also received 883 bags of donations and provided food for 901 people in the first week.

In 2024, the community centre won the BBC Make A Difference Award in the Green category.

Last year, Amangeldiyeva was also featured in The Big Issue's magazine's 100 Changemaker's List.

The King's Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to voluntary groups in the UK and was first established by Queen Elizabeth II in 2002 to coincide with her golden jubilee.

The award is equivalent to an MBE for charities, a spokesperson said on its website.

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