Royal champions of South Holland

Three South Holland residents have been given a special award for volunteers to mark the coronation of King Charles III.

There were 5,000 nominations for the Coronation Champions award, and just 500 recipients were chosen from the long list.
A judging panel presided over by the Queen Consort chose the champions who will each receive a special pin and a signed certificate from King Charles and Queen Camilla.
In South Holland, volunteer Jan Whitbourn was nominated for her years of service to the community.
She was delighted to have received the news and said it was a huge honour to be among the final 500.
“I couldn’t believe it when I found out, it’s just amazing that somebody bothered to do this for me,” she said.
Jan is involved with many community groups, including the Royal British Legion and she organises the annual Pride of South Holland Awards.
She also helps keep Spalding train station blooming by working with others to maintain flower beds.
This year she has also been instrumental in organising an awards ceremony for the Tulip Parade Ambassadors.
Her community work stretches back at least 20 years around Spalding and South Holland.
Another local recipient was Liz Batterham, who works with the Little Miracles charity.
She leads the Holbeach branch and helps families with children from the area who have a range of disabilities.
“I was shocked – I found out last Thursday and they told me I couldn’t talk about it with anyone until this week,” she said.
As part of her award, Liz will be attending the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday, May 7.
“I was completely blown away, it’s tough to win a local award, but this is much bigger. We are really looking forward to going to the concert,” she said.
The Holbeach centre has a range of facilities, including a sensory room, which can be hired by schools and other groups.
Volunteers have been working hard to renovate the building, but there is still work going on.
It is hoped the final work on creating a new kitchen will be completed by the end of May.
The charity also has branches in Spalding, Bourne, March, Peterborough, Ramsey, Ely, Stamford, St Neots, Boston and Kettering. For more information contact 01406 709508.
Long Sutton resident Allison Fry will also be heading to a royal garden party as a winner of the title.
She has volunteered with the NSPCC for around eight years going into schools around the county teaching Years 5 and 6 issues around safeguarding.
After working in the prison service for 20 years, Allison left on medical grounds after receiving a spinal injury.
She has lived in Long Sutton for more than two decades and said she had been ‘blown off my feet’ by the news of her award.
“My manager asked me if I was OK about being recognised for volunteering. I had no idea it was something this big. I was really surprised when I heard what it was about,” she said.
The recipients are also invited to attend one of the official Coronation Garden Party or the Windsor Castle Coronation Concert.
The awards recognise a diverse group of volunteers from different backgrounds. They were judged on their impact on the lives of others and their dedication.
The Coronation Champions awards were launched by the Royal Voluntary Service earlier this year celebrate the work of the volunteers across the country.