Her Majesty The Queen gets creative at charity craft session
Today, Her Majesty The Queen met with volunteers and participants from leading charity Royal Voluntary Service, of which she is President, during a visit to Shrewsbury.
Whilst visiting Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, Her Majesty joined a creative spring crafting workshop, held by Royal Voluntary Service for its local teams.
Her Majesty thanked the charity’s volunteers and listened to the experiences of the guests who are being supported by the charity, whilst getting involved and putting the finishing touches to a colourful spring themed craft creation of her own.
Attendees taking part in the session included volunteers, clients and staff from the nearby Royal Voluntary Service Good Neighbours service, and the charity’s Longden Social Club. Both services support over 80 local people to stay active, healthy, happy and socially connected. By offering regular meetups and person-centred support and activities, volunteers are reducing social isolation and improving the health of some of the community’s most vulnerable people.
However, the breadth of the charity’s volunteer support extends across Britain in a range of services including lunch clubs, patient transport, dementia support, help for people recovering after a hospital stay, providing companionship and supporting people in hospital.
The spring crafting workshop was led by tutor Gemma Forde, whose virtual crafting sessions have been a great hit with Royal Voluntary Service’s online activity community, at its free Virtual Village Hall.
With services in communities across the country, the charity is encouraging people who might benefit from additional support to explore what is on offer in their local area.
"It was an honour to introduce Her Majesty to some of our teams in Shrewsbury today, and to share with her the incredible work that they are doing in their community.
"I never tire of hearing feedback from the people being supported by Royal Voluntary Service volunteers, who do us all proud. The impact they have is truly inspirational. In some stories I heard today, the help of a volunteer has turned a person’s life around, and others have made friends for life. We have amazing teams in communities nationwide who are ready to lend a hand, so I urge anyone who thinks they could benefit from volunteer support to reach out to us."
Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service
Those looking for additional support can find out what services are in their area at: royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
