We are incredibly proud to share that Coral and Sue recently attended the King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) Afternoon Tea at Buckingham Palace, representing Chichester Community Development Trust. This special invitation came in recognition of the exceptional contribution made by CCDT’s volunteers, whose dedication and passion have helped build a stronger, more connected community. It was a truly memorable day, celebrating the impact of grassroots work at the highest level.
Here’s an interview with Sue James and Coral Botteley written by our newest volunteers – Sophie Smith and Lola Hearn.
On May 7th, 2025, Coral (our longest serving volunteer of 12 years) and Sue (Chair of Trustees), both dedicated volunteers of CCDT, were honoured to attend the Buckingham Palace Gardens in recognition of the organisation’s hard work, for which they were awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This prestigious award celebrates the amazing contributions volunteers give to their communities. They were amongst 1000s of other volunteers from different areas around the UK who had also been recognised for their commitment to helping others locally.
Both Coral and Sue were ‘thrilled’ and ‘overwhelmed’ when they found out that they had been offered this fantastic opportunity. When asked how it felt to initially walk into the Palace Gardens, they said it was as if they had stepped back in time to an air of stillness. Both ladies said that they were treated with a lot of respect, especially with their mobility issues where they were taken around the grounds on a buggy and felt like VIPs.
At the event, there were food and drinks tents that provided guests with incredible food such as finger sandwiches (including the famous royal cucumber sandwiches), numerous types of tarts, eclairs, scones and lemonade. Sue told us that ‘everything was small’ and was ‘well run’.
Coral and Sue both responded to questions about their outfit of choice by saying that they put a lot of thought into them and wore their badges – Sue even described it as an excuse to go shopping. Coral recalled that many women were wearing dresses, and only herself and three others were wearing trouser suits. They told us that everyone was ‘all dressed up’ like they were at a posh wedding and some were even in their national dress.
A memorable part of the day for them was seeing the King and Queen from a distance on their terrace as it solidified the recognition they had received. The women both felt very honoured and special as they saw the royals paying lots of attention to many volunteers by taking the time to talk to many of them.
This award not only raises the profile of CCDT but shows the appreciation people have for volunteers and shows that they are good at what they do. We asked Coral and Sue what advice they would give to anyone looking to become a volunteer and they recommended to first, seek out information and find out about the organisation that you are looking to join, then choose a voluntary role helping with something that you enjoy because being a volunteer is all about enjoyment. Small organisations such as CCDT are very important in fusing communities together and helping others in their local areas. Volunteering is a very commendable thing to take part in and can be rewarding to people like Coral and Sue who got to take part in this once in a lifetime experience.
Written by Sophie Smith and Lola Hearn
