'A very memorable occasion' is how Kit Davis described her recent visit to Buckingham Palace to receive her MBE from Her Majesty The Queen.

Kit's work with the Harriet Davis Seaside Holiday Trust and to disabled people and their families, was honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Together with her husband John, who shared her special day with her, they founded the charity as a tribute to the memory of their daughter Harriet who suffered from a rare degenerative metabolic disease and lived for just 11 years.

As the principal carers of an increasingly frail child, the couple were constantly reminded of the lack of suitable holiday accommodation which would allow a severely disabled child to take part in a real family holiday.

Therefore, they founded a registered charity in Harriet's name that aimed to provide properties in seaside locations that are suitably constructed to offer families with disabled children the opportunity to enjoy seaside holidays.

The needs of these families for rest and recreation have been provided for in remarkable creative and imaginative ways through the four houses in Tenby, Penally and Narberth, owned by the Trust.

"It was a very special day," Kit told the Observer. "The Queen carried out the actual investiture and she was very interested in the work of the trust. Her words to me were very kind and the palace looked after us very well."

The accolade comes in the 20th anniversary year of the trust.