Two volunteers from the Cancer Research UK shop at Tudor Square, Tenby, are still 'buzzing' after their recent trip to Buckingham Palace to a special reception party held by Her Majesty The Queen to mark the launch of Cancer Research UK.
Dedicated volunteers, Mrs. Joyce Mawdsley and Mrs. Annie Badland, both Tenby residents, were invited to the reception held on March 27 along with around 300 volunteers, staff and supporters of the charity.
Cancer Research UK was formed in February following the merger of Imperial Cancer Research Fund and The Cancer Research Campaign and is now the largest volunteer-supported cancer research organisation in the world. Annie and Joyce are respected volunteers and have both been working at the Tudor Square shop for many years, formerly known as a Cancer Research Campaign shop.
Even two weeks after their exciting trip, Annie said: "We're still on Cloud 9! It was fantastic experience, something that will be in our memories until the day we die."
The two ladies met Her Majesty The Queen, who was the patron of both former charities, and will continue to act as patron for the new charity; the Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alexandra, who are both presidents; Professor Gordon McVie, director general (fund-raising and communications) and his wife Mrs. Claudia McVie, community fund-raising director.
Cancer Research UK is supported by around 30,000 volunteers nationwide, with over 16,500 of these supporting the charity's 683 retail outlets just like Joyce and Annie.
Annie continued: "We both felt so privileged, it was a wonderful day. I'd just like to appeal to anyone else in the Tenby area who could spare even just an hour a week to help out in the Tudor Square shop. Like us, you could really make a difference and help raise funds for vital cancer research."