A DEVOTED volunteer has been celebrating a royal honour at Buckingham Palace.
Margaret Kite from Kenilworth was awarded a British Empire Medal in the New Year’s Honours List in recognition of more than two decades of charity collecting.
And the 85 year-old recently travelled to The Queen’s London home to collect her award from Lord-Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Timothy Cox.
Margaret has spent her life helping others after a stern telling off by her grandmother when she was a young girl. She was called a ‘glutton’ which prompted her to dedicate her life to helping others.
Her charitable work started with St John Ambulance, where she became a superintendent in Kenilworth.
And for over 25 years Margaret has been a charity collector and is a regular face collecting for a number of charities including The Myton Hospices, The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal and Marie Curie.
Margaret found out she had been named in the New Year’s Honours List back in November and says keeping the secret was very difficult
She told The Observer: “I had to sign a declaration when I was told that I had been named and I had to keep my trap shut. It was a hard secret to keep. I never dreamt anything like this would happen.”
But it was worth the wait, after she celebrated at Buckingham Palace.
She said “It was absolutely fabulous, it really was a once in a lifetime experience.
“There were about 6,500 others there, it was unbelievable. I met quite a few different people and I did see the Queen but it was from quite a distance.
“The day was something I had never expected would happen to me. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was a brilliant day.”
