Now the work of West Yorkshire's most dedicated volunteers has been given the royal stamp of approval.
More than 150 volunteers were honoured with a Year of the Volunteer medal at a special ceremony held at the Civic Hall last night.
The badge of honour produced by the Royal Mint was awarded by the county's Lord Lieutenant Dr Ingrid Roscoe.
Among those decorated were Jayde Lund, 18, from Leeds and Samuel Muyama, from Wakefield.
Jayde promotes sexual awareness on a full-time voluntary basis with Leeds Contraception and Sexual Health and Leeds Health Education.
Having left school at the age of 16 without any qualifications Jayde has amazed everyone she knows to go on and chair the Young Sexual Health Action Group which aims to inform, improve, modernise and revolutionise sexual health services.
Former banker Samuel packed in his job in Zimbabwe to seek asylum in the UK only last year. Within a month he was volunteering at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park where he helps with its administration and organisation.
Another winner was 73-year-old Michael Quirke who has been volunteering for Little Sisters of the Poor at Mount St Joseph on Shire Oak Road in Headingley, Leeds.
For ten years he has been lending a hand at the nursing home.