The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was awarded to the fifty-seven volunteers of the Foundation on 2 June 2011 in recognition of their role as guides to the Memorial Garden, volunteer gardeners and as interviewers in an oral history project.
On arrival HRH was greeted by The Lord-Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast, Dame Mary Peters DBE.
HRH was accompanied throughout the visit by Mr Jim McDonald CBE LVO KCSG KGCHS DL, Chairman of the RUC GC Foundation.
HRH met a number of RUC GC Foundation Trustees and went on to meet RUC widows and representatives of the Forgotten Families and Parents’ Association.
Later at the History Trail, HRH met retired senior Northern Ireland Police Officers and their spouses and representatives of Stakeholders, Retired Police Officers’ Association, GC Association, Disabled Police Officers’ Association, Carers’ Association, Parents’ Association, and the Police Federation and Superintendents’ Association, RUC GC Historical Society
In the Memorial Garden Mr McDonald presented Members of the Oral History Group and family representatives and, later in the “Area of Peace” HRH met volunteer gardeners and representatives of the Boys' Brigade.
During the tour HRH viewed the replica stained glass window erected in the “Area of Peace”. The window was erected in 2008 in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast and presented to the RUC GC Foundation in October 2008.
Following a few words of welcome, Mr Jim McDonald invited HRH to present The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service to the RUC George Cross Foundation.
The Award of a Cut Glass Bowl and a Certificate were received by Ms Heather Miskelly, the wife of a retired Police Officer and a volunteer gardener and Mr Joe Rawson, a retired Detective Chief Inspector and, at eighty years of age, the longest serving volunteer.
Prior to departure twelve year old Zoe Latus, who’s grandfather, Reserve Constable William Findlay was murdered by terrorists in 1983, presented HRH with gifts of an RUC GC scarf and brooch.
Her Royal Highness was accompanied during the engagement by the Hon Rose Paterson.
On arrival HRH was greeted by Dame Mary Peters DBE, Lord-Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast, and went on to meet:
- Alderman Ruth Patterson, Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast,
- Mr Ian Adamson OBE, Sheriff for the County Borough of Belfast,
- Mr David Ford MLA, Minister, Department of Justice,
- Mr Nick Perry, Permanent Secretary, Department of Justice, and
- Mr Jim McDonald CBE LVO KCSG KGCHS DL
3 comments :
Sorry to have to correct your Lordship, but it is The Boys' Brigade!
Timothy,Timothy, I am surprised: it is the Boys' Brigade!
Thanks for pointing this out. I like to be grammatically correct and tend to frown upon others' inaccuracies.
By the way, I got the information from the NIO website:-
http://www.nio.gov.uk/duchess-of-cornwall-presents-the-queens-award-for-voluntary-service-to-ruc-george-cross-foundation/media-detail.htm?newsID=17988
"In the Memorial Garden Mr McDonald presented Members of the Oral History Group and family representatives and, later in the “Area of Peace” HRH met volunteer gardeners and representatives of the Boy’s Brigade. "
No excuse, I hold my hands up.
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