Two volunteers from a Northamptonshire mental health charity say it was a “dream” to be invited to attend a royal garden party in recognition of their work.
St Andrews Healthcare volunteers Mary Oxley, 94, and Roger Brewer, 79, have combined to contribute to the Northampton-based service for more than 62 years.
The pair were guests at a party at Buckingham Palace and a service at St Paul’s Cathedral, which was also attended by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.
“It was a perfect day,” Brewer said.
Mrs Oxley, who also met King George VI as a child, said: “It’s always been a dream of mine to meet a member of the royal family.
“It was a really great experience to be invited to the Palace and meet so many wonderful people, while also helping to spread the message about the great work we do at St Andrews Healthcare. I did.”
Mr Brewer said he was “very honored” to be at Thursday’s event, adding: “King Charles made a real effort to meet as many people as possible.”
“Prince Charles visited St. Andrews in 2000 when he was Crown Prince. I wrote him a letter with photos of his visit to remind him of it and to remind him of the charity work he has done since he was last here. I thought it would be helpful to explain how it developed.”
“I also invited him to visit again. King Charles has promised to read this book and I hope he will agree to come back someday to see us all again. I have very high expectations.”
Dawn Wright, Volunteer Services Manager at St Andrews Healthcare, who accompanied the pair, said: “All of our volunteers are very much valued, but Mary and Roger have been with us for 22 and 40 years respectively. They are two of our longest serving volunteers.”
“They both have such an impact on the lives of our patients and it was a really proud moment for me to meet the King himself at Buckingham Palace.”
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