PRINCE Edward, the Earl of Wessex, was seen thanking Berkshire's volunteers for their work throughout the pandemic at an event at Ascot Racecourse yesterday.

The Earl attended the event, with 200 volunteers and representatives enjoying afternoon tea and being entertained by magician Jamie Raven.

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Volunteer representatives from a wide range of Berkshire-based charities who provided vital support during the pandemic met with HRH The Earl of Wessex and shared their experiences during the crisis.

Stephen Howard, Chair of Trustees at Berkshire Community Foundation, said: “Berkshire is home to an incredibly vibrant and caring charity sector, with volunteers at its core.

Bracknell News:

"In the last year, volunteers were vital in keeping crucial support services open and gave many people a lifeline through the most difficult time in recent history.

"We are proud to have supported them through the pandemic and are delighted that these everyday heroes have been given royal recognition.”

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Katherine Burton, a volunteer at Food4Families in Reading, said about her volunteering experience: “Over the last 15 months or so, I have volunteered at Lavender Place Community Gardens situated on the site of the former Civic Centre in the heart of Reading.

"The gardens are a place of real joy, a green sanctuary that has not only provided food for those in need as part of the Food4Families programme, a need that grew due to the Covid-19 crisis, but that continues to provide a vital shared, natural space for all around the town.

"It’s a place for telling food-growing stories, learning how to grow veg with less impact on our environment and sharing how to make our world a better place.”

For more information, visit www.berkshirecf.org.