The Coronation of His Majesty The King last Saturday was an event that most of us have not seen in our lifetimes.
This religious and solemn ceremony, laden with symbolism laid down over the centuries, reflected the Monarch’s role today and looked towards the future, whilst being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.
Nobody is better prepared to be King than this Monarch; it is a job like no other and one that King Charles has demonstrated that he is ideally equipped to do. This state occasion showed Britain off to the world, and I am proud that we did it very well.
Following the Ceremony, on Sunday, it was a huge honour to help welcome The Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence to a street party in Belmont Crescent here in South Swindon, where there was a rousing three cheers for His Majesty The King.
There were more cheers for The King at the Polish Community Centre in Park South where I joined residents for a Coronation Big Lunch, followed by a packed Wood Street event too, with thanks to Old Town Business Association.
With special thanks to all those local residents who worked hard to organise Coronation events here in Swindon, which were enjoyed by so many of us in the local community. I would also like to thank talented young Swindon artist, Rhys Stacey, for sharing his special Coronation portrait with me.
There was a very tough set of results for the Conservatives in Swindon last week following the local elections. Some great colleagues and friends sadly lost their seats. Despite this, we will continue to work hard for local people and learn from these results. The focus has to be on the residents we serve, and I will seek to work constructively with the new Council leadership in order to continue to deliver for our town.
Finally, following the Coronation, my charity of the week is The Prince’s Trust. It all began in 1976 when His Majesty King Charles III then The Prince of Wales had a bold idea. Having completed his duty in the Royal Navy, His Majesty King Charles III became dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged young people here in the UK. He founded his Trust to deliver on that commitment.
At the time, the UK was struggling under record levels of unemployment under a Labour Government, with young people being left behind. The Prince used his Navy severance pay – £7,400 – to fund several community initiatives. Twenty-one pilot projects were set up around the country.
By 2001, The Prince’s Trust was supporting 25,000 young people each year and had become a national charity with impressive scale and impact.
Swindon-based charity, Inner Flame, which was established in 2008, runs the hugely powerful Prince’s Trust Team Programme, to inspire young people here in the town and give them the tools and mindset that they need to thrive in their future lives.
The programme is a free 12-week course for young unemployed people between the ages of 16 and 25. Throughout the programme, young people meet new people, gain a qualification, and go on a week-long residential course and much more, all thanks to funding from The Prince’s Trust.
You can find out more about the excellent local charity Inner Flame on their website here https://innerflame.org.uk/
Further information about The Prince’s Trust can be found on the website here https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/
If you have a national or local issue that you would like to raise with me, please get in touch by emailing [email protected] or ringing 01793 533393.
