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An afternoon at the Palace
Ruth Dwight, Head of Programmes
18 May 2018
Every year, the Queen opens her garden at Buckingham Palace to over 30,000 members of the public who have made a positive impact on society. This year, five brilliant people who have gone above and beyond with their dedication to the work of the Family and Childcare Trust were invited – and I was very fortunate to be invited to go with them.
Our special guests
Reeta is employed by her local authority to coordinate our Parent Champions scheme in Wolverhampton and Martyn has been volunteering as a Parent Champion for two years. Lindsey helps to coordinate our Parent Champions scheme in Leeds as a volunteer. Philip is a Family Information Services Manager in Hillingdon – he has been supporting families for over 15 years, and chairs our National Association of Family Information Services. James is a consultant for our Young Dads Collective – a young dad himself, James has navigated family services and now campaigns for more support for families with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities).
A very British affair
Getting 8,000 people in to the Palace through just three gates is no mean feat, nor is serving them 20,000 sandwiches, 20,000 slices of cake and 27,000 cups of tea in just a couple of hours! But thankfully, the British are very adept at queuing and everyone very politely waited for their turn dressed in their finery.
Not long after we had enjoyed our selection of cucumber sandwiches and delicious cakes – and the all-important cuppa – the national anthem played and the Queen appeared on the balcony in front of the house. She gradually made her way through the crowds – at that point all I saw were a few fascinators and army berets to be honest, but my taller friends managed to get a glimpse of the Queen’s turquoise hat…
Wandering and people watching
After a quick nosey into the Palace itself – what a staircase! – we had a wander around the grounds. Paths lined with pink, white and purple rhododendrons, and a lawn that just cried out for me to take off my shoes.
Reflecting on the event, Philip (a Family Information Services Manager) said: “It was a unique experience, taking tea with the Queen in her back garden. Perfect weather, nice food, good company – it was a memorable and enjoyable event.”
Watching the guests mooch about in the sunshine, I felt proud of the community service ethic in the UK, and thankful to the Queen for recognising the many individuals who go above and beyond to help others. For example, the 83-year-old lady I met (in a queue of course) who had been volunteering since she was 15 years old – most recently as a fitness instructor for older people through an Age UK project. James (a young dad and consultant for our Young Dads Collective) told me that it felt surreal to be at Buckingham Palace – but we talked about how proud his son would be of him.
And then, just as we were heading out, we got a final chance to catch a proper glimpse of the Queen as she retired for the afternoon. Even after two hours walking around in the heat, she was still genuinely smiling and enjoying meeting people. If I had a palace, I’d invite her to my garden party.
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