Saathi House has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service - recognising nearly 50 years of transforming women’s lives in Aston
We are incredibly proud to share that Saathi House has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honour given to voluntary groups in the UK. This prestigious recognition celebrates the hard work, resilience and leadership of the women, volunteers, staff and community members who have shaped Saathi House for almost five decades.
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Today, we deliver a wide range of programmes including learning and skills development, wellbeing activities, employment and digital support, youth work, food and financial assistance, and confidence-building workshops. Our model remains rooted in women’s leadership: many of our current team and trustees first walked through our doors as service users, later volunteered, and then progressed into paid roles. This approach ensures that Saathi House remains authentic, community-led and responsive to real needs.
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Our Chair of Trustees, Mashkura Begum, who first attended Saathi House as a child, shared:
“Like hundreds of local women, I’ve gained so much from Saathi House: confidence, friendship, and a sense of belonging. Seeing it receive The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is deeply meaningful not for me alone, but for every woman who found strength within these walls. Aston is often spoken about in terms of its challenges, but this award tells a different story: of women supporting women, quietly reshaping the social fabric as proud Brummie women. We are humbled and proud that a women’s hub in Aston is being recognised at a national level by His Majesty the King.”
The impact of Saathi House can be felt through the voices of our community:
“I love coming to Saathi House – it’s my second home.”
“The sessions make me feel supported, connected and listened to.”
Saathi House provides learning, wellbeing, and confidence-building activities in safe, women-led spaces. At its core, the organisation believes that no woman should be held back by inequality, language barriers or cultural expectations - and that when women thrive, whole communities rise with them.
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Later this year, representatives from Saathi House will be invited to a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace. The official King’s Award crystal and certificate will be presented at a ceremony in Birmingham by the Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands, acting on behalf of His Majesty the King.
With the 50th anniversary approaching in 2026, the Award arrives at a symbolic moment - not as a conclusion, but as a new chapter. Saathi House will continue to expand its programmes for women and young people, increase leadership development opportunities, and offer more intergenerational activities that bring the community together.