Chairman Invited To Windsor Castle

On 17th November, Catherine Morrison, Chairman of Crossroads (Harris) had the honour of being invited to a reception given by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle .  In June the Scheme had been named Scottish Charity of the Year.

 

The event was to recognise the work done by those working voluntarily in rural communities.  This is Catherine’s own description of the event: There were three to four hundred people there from all walks of life and it was very interesting to meet and talk to some of them. I met two others from the Western Isles there, Annie MacSween of Ness and Jessie MacNeil from Barra.

 

After a number of security checks we were ushered into a grand hall where we were introduced to the Queen and Duke. It was no small feat for an 85 year old and 90 year old to shake hands with everybody.  After introductions we were treated to a buffet and refreshments while we mingled with other guests. We met some TV celebrities including Ben Fogle who sent his warm regards to everyone in Harris. The Queen, Duke and the Princess Royal mingled with the crowd though needless to say the Queen was under strict security surveillance.

 

The Princess Royal was very interested in the work of Crossroads because of her involvement with carers through the Charity and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers. The Queen was also aware of the support Crossroads gives to carers and parted with a “keep up the good work”. It was a memorable evening and at times felt unreal.