Shama Women’s Centre in Leicester has received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest recognition a UK voluntary organisation can achieve — a milestone that celebrates decades of community-led support for women and families across the city.
For CEO Khudeja Amer-Sharif, who has led the charity since 2012, the award is both unexpected and deeply meaningful.
“We were just glad to be nominated,” she said. “We never dreamed we’d actually get the award. We’re absolutely delighted.”
Picture credit: Shama Women’s Centre
Two Shama volunteers will now attend a Buckingham Palace garden party as part of the honour — an opportunity Amer-Sharif says they “absolutely deserve,” reflecting the charity’s long-standing culture of volunteer-led leadership.
“Our volunteers don’t just help us deliver services; they shape them,” she said. “They create resources, lead workshops, support vulnerable women and bring fresh ideas. They are innovators as much as they are carers.”
Founded in 1985 as a small support group for isolated South Asian women, Shama has grown into one of Leicester’s most trusted organisations, offering counselling, mental health support, welfare advice, digital skills and community outreach. Many of its volunteers are former service users who return to help others, and their contributions have shaped some of Shama’s most impactful initiatives, from multilingual health resources to culturally sensitive wellbeing programmes.
Amer-Sharif says the King’s Award is recognition of the volunteers who keep the organisation thriving:
“This award belongs to them. Their compassion, their dedication, their belief in empowering women — that’s what makes Shama what it is,” she said.
“Our volunteers give so much of themselves. This honour is truly for them. They’re the heartbeat of Shama.”
Amer-Sharif says the recognition is especially meaningful because of the challenges so many women face before coming to Shama for support.
“Every woman who walks through our doors carries a story,” she said. “Some arrive with confidence, many arrive with none. To know that our volunteers play a part in rebuilding their lives — that’s what this award celebrates.”
She hopes the recognition will inspire more women to step forward — whether to seek support or volunteer their time.
“Shama has always been built on connection,” she said. “If this award encourages even one more woman to reach out, or one more volunteer to join us, then it will have an impact far beyond a medal or a certificate.”
Shama Women’s Centre is one of 231 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year.
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Her Late Majesty The Queen’s Golden Jubilee and was continued following the accession of His Majesty The King. 2025 marks the third year of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
