Northampton: Mental health charity volunteers attend royal party

Roger Brewer, 79, and Mary Oxley, 94, say it was a "dream" to attend the event at Buckingham Palace

Two volunteers at a Northampton-based mental health charity said it was "a dream" to be invited to a royal garden party in recognition of their work.

Mary Oxley, 94, and Roger Brewer, 79, both from Northampton, have collectively volunteered at St Andrew's Healthcare for 62 years.

The pair were guests at the Buckingham Palace party and a service held at St Paul's Cathedral which Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, also attended.

Mr Brewer said it was "a perfect day".

Mrs Oxley, who had also met King George VI as a child, said: "It has always been a dream of mine to meet members of the Royal Family.

"It was a truly wonderful experience to be invited to the Palace and meet so many wonderful people, while also helping to spread the message about the excellent work we do at St Andrew's Healthcare."

Mr Brewer has volunteered at St Andrew's for more than four decades and also volunteers at prisons, NHS trusts and in the community as an honorary chaplain.

Asked why he chose to dedicate so much of his time to volunteering, he said: "I just love people. I don't judge them. I'm solely here to make people's lives better.

"I always take on the interests of the person who I'm talking with, for example, I hate football - but I often show a passion for it to see the joy in the person's eyes."

He said he felt "so honoured" to attend Thursday's event, adding: "King Charles made a real effort to meet as many people as he could."

St Andrew's Healthcare provides inpatient and community mental health services

St Andrew's Healthcare's voluntary services manager, Dawn Wright, who accompanied the pair, said: "All our volunteers are hugely valued, but Mary and Roger are two of our longest-serving volunteers having worked with us for 22 and 40 years respectively.

"They have both made such an impact to the lives of our patients, and it was a really proud moment for me to see them at Buckingham Palace where they got to meet the King himself."

Got a story? Email [e-mail] or WhatsApp [phone]