The former Carers in Bedfordshire (CiB) chair, Dr. Anne Grant, has received and MBE for her services to the charity. The medal recognises her unwavering commitment to the needs of unpaid family carers across Bedfordshire.
Anne was given the award by The Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle. She was due to receive the award last year but the ceremony was postponed due to Covid.
She said: “I finally made it. Almost two years ago I was overwhelmed to be awarded an MBE after being nominated by Carers in Bedfordshire and I’ve finally received it.”
She said the experience was one, ‘never to be forgotten’ and described the interior of Windsor Castle as ‘stunning’. A string quartet played as they moved from room to room.
Finally, the moment came when her name was called and she ‘walked forward to stand in front of Prince Charles and curtsey’.
Anne said: “He fastened my medal to my jacket, and asked me what my link with caring was. I explained that my husband had been severely disabled by a stroke and I had got involved with a local charity to support unpaid family carers, like myself, for whom there was little or no support.
“He asked if, after I stepped down, the charity was still running. I told him absolutely, the need is greater than ever.”
She thanked Carers in Bedfordshire for the nomination and said it should be shared with the Board, her two children and husband Forbes. She said, without them she ‘couldn’t have survived’.
CiB was founded by Yvonne Clark in 2004. Anne joined soon after, volunteering as a telephone befriender and trustee. She went onto chair the charity from 2010 – 2017.
CiB is a not-for-profit registered charity providing support for unpaid carers of family members and friends throughout Bedfordshire.
There are an estimated seven million carers in the UK with 40,000 of them living in Bedfordshire.
For more information on the charity visit here.
