STAFF at a Winchester charity have been celebrating a month of royal engagements that involved praise for their work in the city.

Homelessness charity Trinity Winchester was invited to Buckingham Palace where they received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Chief executive Sue McKenna and volunteer Nicola Butcher attended the awards at Buckingham Palace.

Nicola said: “It was so exciting to be able to represent Trinity for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

“The award is an incredible achievement for the charity, and well deserved. I have been volunteering there for a couple of years, and the work that all of the staff and volunteers do to support homeless and vulnerable people is truly life changing.”

The accolade, the highest award given to volunteer groups, was created by the Queen in 2002 to mark her Golden Jubilee and celebrates the impact voluntary groups have on the country.

Trinity, based at Bradbury House in Durngate, was one of 250 organisations to receive the award.

The visit to Buckingham Palace followed an invitation to the royal wedding last month. Volunteer Tom Watson attended as an official spectator with his wife Jenny.

Tom, who helps run the charity’s Job Club, and serves breakfasts to homeless and rough sleepers on Saturdays, said: “It was an honour for me to be invited by the Lord Lieutenant to attend the Royal Wedding on behalf of Trinity Winchester.

“The royal couple had identified services for homeless people in their own patronage of charities, so Trinity Winchester was chosen for the county as an organisation to be represented.”

Tom said the Royal Wedding was one of the best-organised events he had attended and all the ‘official spectators’ were given a real welcome by Windsor Castle staff.

“It was a personal privilege to attend, and it was also an honour for all the volunteers and staff of Trinity Winchester to be acclaimed in this way.”

the charity has announced plans for a £1.5 million extension at its Durngate base to build flats for 11 previously homeless people.