Party time!
Royal invitation for delighted city charity founder
YOUNG city philanthropist Matthew Bridger has been honoured with an invitation to a garden party hosted by King Charles this month.
The 23-year-old founded a charity dedicated to helping youngsters as well as another aimed at supporting homeless people. He has also launched The Bridger Foundation which provides grants to local charities and mental health support.
The invitation to Buckingham Palace from the King comes after Matthew this year received a Point of Light Award from Prime
Minister Rishi Sunak for his exceptional community service and volunteering.
He was also recently announced as an entrant in Young Business Person of the Year as well as the Entrepreneur of the Year categories at the Staffordshire University Business Awards, with winners being announced towards the end of the year.
Matthew will travel to London with his grandfather Peter, who will join him at the garden party.
He is known in Stoke-ontrent for his role as a patron of Better Together Community Support Group, trustee of Sutton Trust Community Group in Abbey Hulton, outreach and communications officer for the Harper-lee Foundation and has been a school governor.
Matthew said: “Service and volunteering have become integral parts of my life, leading me on an incredibly rewarding journey to contribute wherever and however I can.
“I’m attending the event as an individual but for me I am there representing all the remarkable individuals who have been part of my endeavours and express my heartfelt gratitude for their invaluable contributions.
“Being part of a community that shares a common vision for a better world is a true blessing, and I’m deeply thankful for the opportunity to contribute to our community.”
Royal garden parties are hosted each year and see thousands of guests from around the UK invited to spend an afternoon in the gardens. They are seen as a way of recognising and rewarding public service around the country.
The King uses a network of sponsors, including Lord Lieutenants, societies and associations, government departments, local government, the armed services, the Church and other faiths, to invite guests.
These bodies nominate guests for an invitation and allow for a cross-section of society to attend the parties each year.
At the parties, members of the Royal Family attend and circulate among the guests, with everyone having a chance to speak to one of the royals.