WINNERS of The Press Community Pride Awards have been invited to lunch with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the Mansion House, it has been revealed.
The Community Pride Awards are run in partnership with City of York Council and the principal sponsor is Benenden Healthcare Society.
Thirteen recipients of the 2011 awards, which celebrate unsung heroes who go to remarkable lengths to make their community a better place or show bravery or determination in diversity, will join the Royal couple for the civic lunch at the Lord Mayor’s official residence when they visit York on April 5.
Three of the young winners of the child of the year category are also due to present the Queen with a posy when she visits Micklegate earlier in the day.
The Press can reveal the Duke of Edinburgh will be joining the Queen on the visit to mark Maundy Thursday, when they are due to be greeted by a civic party led by City of York Council's chief executive Kersten England, at the city’s traditional entrance in Micklegate.
Sallyanne Gatus, a mother-of-two and cancer survivor from Dringhouses who was named volunteer of the year for creating a gardening club at Dringhouses Primary School, said she was thrilled to receive an invitation.
She said: “It was amazing. I was totally overwhelmed to receive the invitation. I read it three times and ran to my neighbours to tell them. I’m overjoyed and so excited. As far as my children are concerned, my son stood up in assembly and said how proud he was of me. It's a real honour.”
Frank Stones, named sporting hero for his devotion to the HPH York Vale Cricket League, said: “I don’t recall being stumped out in cricket, but I was when I got that letter. I’m very much looking forward to it. It’s very much an honour.”
Doreen Foster, health service hero of the year, who has also been invited to the Queen’s garden party at Buckingham Palace in May, said: “I wasn’t expecting anything like this. It's lovely. You never expect in your life you are going to do something like this.”
The Mansion House luncheon is also due to be attended by the civic party, including Lord Mayor Coun David Horton, the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, the Dean of the Minster Keith Jones, the leaders of York’s political parties, Kersten England and the deputy chief executive Bill Woolley, as well as Army representatives.
As leader of this year’s York 800 celebrations – which marks 800 years of local democracy in the city – Coun Sonja Crisp is also expected to attend.
The Queen is also due to distribute Maundy money at a service at York Minster to 86 men and 86 women – the age of the Queen – as part of an annual Easter tradition.
Lunching with the Royals...
Of our Community Pride winners, those attending the meal with the Queen will be: Spirit Of Youth winner Paisley Laws; Volunteer Of The Year Sallyanne Gatus; Charity Fundraiser Brian Hughes; Children Of The Year Owen Target, Freddie Hyde, Hannah Jayne Martin, Margaux Barker and Rosalia Daly-Maxwell; Sporting Hero Frank Stones; Community Project winner Shaun Lavery from York People First; Public Sector Hero John Nicholson; Service With A Smile winner Kenneth Slee, from Heworth Post Office; Health Service Hero Doreen Foster; Teacher Of The Year Gareth Davies; Person Of The Year Spen Allison and Special Award winner Anthony Wales.
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