Local solicitor Beverley Sunderland and her husband, two lead volunteers at the Vaccination Centre at Newbury Racecourse, attended the royal garden party at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday May 8.

Other members of the royal family who joined King Charles at the party include Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, along with other invited guests.

Beverley Sunderland, founder and partner of Abingdon-based Crossland Employment Solicitors said: “My husband and I were very honoured to be invited by the King to attend the Royal Garden Party, which we assume was for our work at the vaccination centre at Newbury Racecourse – it’s the only good we have done!

“We will never forget that time, or the amazing efforts of all the 400 volunteers who stepped forward to ensure the vulnerable and local community were vaccinated as quickly as possible, and worked in partnership with the great NHS team who got the centre up and running so quickly.

“We decided to share our knowledge on the constant changes to the furlough scheme and we worked every weekend to send an update on what the new rules meant.

"One of my proudest moments professionally is still being at an event just as things opened up again and another guest who worked for a firm of accountants looked at my name badge and said  ‘are you the same Beverley Sunderland who was sending out the furlough updates?  They were our lifeline and we waited for them every week’."