A WORKINGTON community leader was ‘honoured’ when she was invited to meet the Queen at Manchester Cathedral on Thursday.
Angela Good, who has worked tirelessly over the past year to help people throughout the pandemic from the Moorclose Community Centre in Workington, was invited to Manchester to meet her Majesty as part of a Covid heroes event at the cathedral.
Angela was one of five people from Cumbria who was chosen to attend the event – she was joined by the Lord Lieutenant Mrs Clare Hensman alongside Richard Warren, Lakes District Search and Mountain Rescue Association; Rebecca Robson, Women’s Community Matters; the Very Rev Mark Boyling, Dean of Carlisle; and Irene McMillan of React Foundation.
Angela said that she was in complete shock to hear that it would be the Queen she was meeting after the details of the visit had been kept secret prior due to security reasons.
The fearless champion of the underdog said that she had always looked up to Her Majesty for the way that she has handled herself throughout her reign.
Angela said: “She just conducts herself with so much dignity, she never passes judgement. She has just been so dignified and regal I suppose, and that’s what I like about her.
“They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes but my goodness I am so glad I did. It was just a dream come true.”
Describing the moment that she first saw the Queen, Angela said: “When I found out it was definitely the Queen that was going to be there it was bit of a shock and then we she turned up – when she got out of the car it was like a ripple effect, everyone went quite quiet and everyone was quite emotional that she was there.”
The monarch thanked Angela and the team at Moorclose Community Centre and South Workington Youth Partnership for the work they have done in their community throughout the pandemic – which Angela said meant an awful lot to all at the centre.
Angela said: “It was just amazing. I spoke to the Queen about everything that we have done and I told her our story.”
Angela said the Queen asked questions about the centre.
The only regret Angela had on the meeting was that she could not take her team.
She said: "I should have had about two dozen people stood beside me though (volunteers at the centre)... but I have the photos for them and they were all just so nice and it was just wonderful.”
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