Last month we were delighted to welcome our Patron, HRH Princess Maria of Romania, to our shops in Guisborough, Shildon and Kirkbymoorside. Accompanied by the two Co-Chairs of the charity, Anne-Marie Martin and Simon Errington, Princess Maria met and thanked local volunteers and supporters in their respective communities.

Guisborough – Manager Tracy England
Greeted by the Mayor Stuart Smith, Reverend Paul Peverell and long-time supporter Roy Wheeler, Tracy admitted to a little nervousness beforehand, but the moment Princess Maria arrived it all disappeared.
Joined by other supporters, shoppers and volunteers who contribute to our annual “Love in a Box” shoebox appeal, Paul, and Della Wedgwood, it was a wonderful afternoon filled with positivity and fun that no one will forget.
One very young shopper, who was a little shy at first, was soon smiling and giggling as the Princess put her at ease.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shildon – Manager Melanie Morgan
Greeted by the Mayor Hannah Hanratty and shop volunteers, Sylvia Ellwood, Margaret Peacock and Madge Hancock, everyone at our Shildon shop, the smallest in our little trio, had only lovely things to say about Princess Maria, as she browsed the rails and made everyone relaxed by her warm demeanour.
Mayor Hanratty, quoted in the Shildon and District Town Crier, said, “It was a privilege and delight to meet Her Royal Highness Princess Maria and to introduce her to the hard-working staff at Children in Distress who do such a wonderful job raising funds for underprivileged children everywhere”.
One local resident, David Coates, even put pen to paper to thank the Princess personally for visiting the local community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kirkbymoorside – Tracy Russell
Greeted by Mayor Jill Wells, shop volunteer Dorothy Thrippleton and long-time supporter Jane Russell, Princess Marie wasted no time chatting to staff and shoppers alike, while she looked around the well-stocked shop.
Dorothy, one of the shops volunteers said of Princess Maria, “She was very friendly and spoke to as many of the visitors and volunteers as she could, thanking everyone for their support and good work. It was a lovely day for everyone concerned.”
Manager Tracy added, “The morning went so smoothly, and we just cannot stop talking about the event, customers who attended on the day are still talking about it and the memory will last a lifetime”.

Anne-Marie Martin, co-chair of Children in Distress, said:

“Our shops are a vital part of our fundraising, and our supporters and volunteers are the bedrock of the charity. This visit shows just how important they are to us.”

We would also like to extend our thanks to Steve from Kirkbymoorside History Group, who also attended and took some wonderful photographs on the day.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We would like to thank all the supporters, volunteers, and everyone in the local communities for coming together for this special visit, and their continued support of Children in Distress…