A ROYAL welcome was the order of the day when a charity volunteer met the Queen in recognition of two dedicated decades of service to Victim Support.
Shelley Deutsch, 54, who lives in Ongar, was joined by the charity's chief executive Javed Khan at St James' Palace on May 29 for the launch of the tenth annual Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.
Ms Deutsch said: "It was an absolute honour to meet Her Majesty in the week of her own coronation celebrations and at a time when I was celebrating my own anniversary with Victim Support.
"I realise I was very lucky to have been chosen to represent so many other volunteers who like me, are committed to helping people recover from the effects of crime."
Sheelagh Jarrett, Victim Support manager for Redbridge, said: "Shelley is a more than deserving volunteer.
"She is always giving of her time and because of her vast experience, is always very supportive of newer volunteers.
"She and others like her play a crucial role in our community. She is an inspiration to us all."
