An outstanding volunteer from Sandbach has been recognised by Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort as part of the official Coronation celebrations in conjunction with Royal Voluntary Service.

Sandbach resident, Ann Nevitt, who launched a lengthy campaign to Save Sandbach cemetery, volunteers for the homeless charity, Chance, Changing Lives, as well as various other projects, has been formally recognised for her work.

(Photo: John Beddows)

Councillor Ann Nevitt, who was yesterday (Sunday) voted back in as a town councillor for Town Ward, is travelling down to London today (Monday) to go to a Coronation Garden party at Buckingham Palace.

Cllr Nevitt is one of the only 500 outstanding volunteers to be chosen as the nation's Coronation Champions. Cllr Nevitt volunteers with the charity Chance, Changing Lives, to help people experiencing homelessness in the Crew area.

Cllr Nevitt launched a lengthy battle as reported here to get Sandbach Cemetery extended which involved a massive petition and presentations to Cheshire East Council.

A campaigner of many projects in Sandbach, Cllr Nevitt also volunteers for Chance's Saturday kitchen at Jubilee House in St Paul's Street, Crewe in between her work in the town as a councillor.

The Coronation Champions Awards invited people across the UK to nominate their local volunteering heroes who are going the extra mile. Nominations were made across eight award categories; supporting older people, supporting young people and children, crisis and welfare, community; sports, culture, and heritage, health and care; sustainability and the environment and animal welfare.

Cllr Nevitt said she was thrilled with her nomination.

"It's a great honour and I'm very happy to have been given this award. It's a great honour to be invited to the Coronation Garden Party at Buckingham Palace," she told Sandbach Nub News.

"I feel absolutely exhausted with all the weekend's celebrations and preparations for our Sandbach events but I'm so looking forward to being invited to the event in London." 

Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service said: "We were completely blown away by the response to the Community Champions Awards and the huge volume of amazing nominees put forward.

"Our judges had a tough job selecting just 500 Champions from an array of thousands of inspirational individuals, who all deserve to be recognised and commended. "

Ann Nevitt (left) Photo: Chance, Changing Lives

"Each of our Coronation Champions displayed a commitment and contribution that far exceeds any expectation and we're overjoyed to honour and thank them during this exciting point in history."

Royal Voluntary Service is one of Britain's largest volunteering charities with volunteers supporting the NHS and thousands of vulnerable people in the community.

The charity delivers the NHS Volunteer Responders programme for NHS England, enabled by the GoodSAM app, with volunteers responding to over 2.5 million requests for help to support approximately 200,000 people, and completing over 363,000 shifts at vaccination sites.

The charity also works in local communities running home libraries, companionship support, home from hospital services and patient transport.

Watch this space! Sandbach Nub News will be releasing photographs at Cllr Nevitt's Buckingham Palace visit in due course.