MISS Honoured with The King’s Award for Voluntary Service

In the summer of 2024, MISS was honoured to be nominated for The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest recognition given to volunteer groups across the UK, often described as the MBE for voluntary organisations.

As part of the process, we met with local assessors, including Deputy Lieutenant Lady Gillian Milne, who visited our office to meet some of our Board and team. We shared more about our work, the services we provide, the difference we are making in our communities, and our plans for the future. On 14th November 2024, we were overjoyed to receive confirmation that MISS had been awarded. Our founder, Abi Clarke, cried with overwhelming happiness on reading the email – a moment that came over 8 years after starting MISS, following years of tireless effort and passion to raise awareness of early pregnancy loss in Scotland.

This award is a celebration of the incredible work our staff and volunteers do every day – from providing compassionate one-to-one support, to running fundraising events and managing our charity shop. Behind the scenes, they also help strengthen MISS as an organisation, developing the right strategies, embracing digital tools, and ensuring we can reach and support even more people across Scotland.The award was proudly received by Carole MacLeod, Board Treasurer and long-standing volunteer, alongside Abi. Volunteers were also represented at The King’s Garden Party by Bukola Osuntuyi, Vice-Chair of the Board and Abi, at Holyrood Palace which is a fitting recognition of the people who make MISS what it is today.

Announcing the award to our community was equally heartwarming, as we received an outpouring of positive feedback from those who have been touched by our work. Abi said:

“This award is still very surprising and I feel absolutely thrilled to receive this as an organisation. We wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without our fantastic team of volunteers and staff who work tirelessly to support bereaved parents. As a charity, we are still very young, and I’m excited for our next five years as we continue our strategic plan to raise awareness and make a difference in our communities.”

We are incredibly proud of this achievement, and even more proud of the people and the compassion that made it possible.