Oonagh receives long-service award from Princess Anne during Royal visit to Wisbech
A visit to Wisbech this week by the Princess Royal included the presentation of long service awards to volunteers at the Citizens Advice Rural Cambridgeshire office.
The Princess Royal, who is national Patron for the Citizens Advice Bureau, was greeted by a host of local dignitaries and political figures as she arrived for what was to be an hour long visit.
She had landed in a helicopter in the grounds of Wisbech Grammar School before whisked to the Queen Mary Centre in short convoy.
Among those in the line-up to welcome her to the Queen Mary Centre was Wisbech mayor Andre Lynn.
He said: "We had a brief chat. I welcomed her to Wisbech and she asked me about my year in office, it was a brief conversation but it was an honour to meet her. She was looking well and seemed happy to be here."
Also present was Councillor Sam Clark, who is Fenland's portfolio holder for communities, who officially opened the CAB office earlier this year.
Keith Smith from the Ferry Project, which runs the Queen Mary Centre, was there to chat to Her Royal Highness about the work of the project.
Princess Anne also spoke to staff and trustees as well as meeting two clients during her visit.
Michael Mealing, chair of Trustees, told the Princess that "being co-located with another charity, the Ferry Project, is working very well and the office is well placed to support the 20 per cent of clients who require one to one, face to face advice".
Other guests included Councillor Alex Miscandlon, chair Fenland District Council and Darryl Preston, the county's police and crime commissioner.
Coun Miscandlon said Fenland Council had been a long-time supporter of Citizens Advice and it is good to have their physical presence in the town, particularly at a time when there is an increasing demand for their services.
During her visit Her Royal Highness also presented some long service awards including one to Oonagh Tucker, advice service leader and benefit specialist ,who joined Citizens Advice in 2002.
Before arriving in Wisbech the Princess had been in Ely where she unveiled the Fenland Black Oak table - a 13m-long piece of furniture made from a 5,000-year-old fossilised tree in the cathedral to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
As part of her visit, she met the team behind the Fenland Black Oak Project at Ely Cathedral, where she unveiled the table to mark The Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
The wood used to make the table was unearthed in Southery, Norfolk, in 2012, the year when the Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee.
After leaving Wisbech the Princess headed to Peterborough where visited the ReadEasy charity, Peterborough branch, which teaches adults to read.
