The Inner Wheel is an international women's volunteer organisation, which has 3895 clubs around the world.

Margarette Golding was the founder of the organisation, and the award in her name is given to people who have performed outstanding charitable acts over a number of years.

Ms Kelly said she was honoured to receive it.

"I feel very humbled by it - it's such a prestigious award," she said.

"It was just such a great honour."

She said Bendigo residents were very supportive when she started her Children First Foundation in 1999.

The foundation sponsors children injured in war torn countries to visit Australia to receive vital surgery, with all expenses paid for.

Ms Kelly has two Iraqi-born adopted sons, Ahmed and Emmanuel, who she encountered at the Mother Teresa Orphanage in Iraq, and she is the legal guardian of twins Krishna and Trishna, born in Bangladesh.

These days, Ms Kelly is living in a house in Brunswick with 11 others.

As well as her boys and Trishna and Krishna, the Bangledeshi twins' parents are living in the house with their one-year-old boy, as well as four other children from war torn countries.

Ms Kelly said she had a great team of volunteers helping her run the house.

She has stepped down from the Children First Foundation and is instead focusing her energy on Global Gardens of Peace, an initiative that involves gardens and playgrounds being built in communities ravaged by war.

The first project, which Ms Kelly has been working on for a number of years, will involve an three hectare garden being built in Gaza City.

"One of the things that blew me away when I went to Gaza was the children playing in rubble buildings - there's no green space," she said.

“Children in Gaza need so much more, so it’s really promoting a place for families and to feel safe and be kids."

Ms Kelly collected her award at a ceremony at Bendigo Pottery on Monday, before driving back to Melbourne.