Royal treat for charity helpers young and old
Pictures Gary Browne – buy photos from kentonline.co.uk
The Princess Royal was met with a warm welcome and handed a homemade card when she visited Save The Children’s shop in Maidstone.
Princess Anne greeted dignitaries including mayor Cllr Derek Butler as well as shop workers inside the store in Union Street on Thursday.
The 66-year-old – who has been president of the charity since the 1970s – also honoured volunteers Dennis Foad and Brenda Harris with longservice awards for the 28 years they have devoted helping the charity fund its work in 120 countries.
Seven-year-old Daisy Maxwell, the shop’s youngest volunteer, presented Princess Anne with a bouquet of posies and a card she had made.
Volunteer Jill Lee said: “Daisy has been coming to our shop since before she was born.
“She handed over a card she had made herself with a picture of a horse on the back because she had Googled Princess Anne and found out about her love of the animals.
“It was lovely. Everyone puts in so many hours volunteering and it is just a nice way to be appreciated. She was very friendly and very relaxed.”
The charity shop has been in Union Street since 1980 when the building was bought for £12,000. Despite being off the high street the volunteers raised £40,000 last year.
Dozens of onlookers watched Princess Anne depart and among them was Betty War- ren. The 88-year-old, who was born in Union Street, had been waiting for almost an hour for Princess Anne to arrive and was given a cup of tea and her very own chair outside the shop.
She said: “I was sitting outside for quite a while. I have never seen her in person before.”