COMMUNITY stalwart Maureen Smith has spoken of her 'immense pride’ at receiving an MBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.

The 71-year-old campaigning grandmother of St Peter’s Road, Whitstable, has been recognised for her community and voluntary work spanning 40 years.

She travelled to London with her family and says meeting the heir to the throne was a wonderful experience.

She said: “I went with my son, Greg who was driving and my daughter, Marnie and her husband, Dyfed and was, of course, anxious not to be late. But Greg did a great job and there were no hold-ups.

“It was an amazing day and I was so impressed with how efficiently it was organised and how helpful everyone was.

“I was with a group of about 100 recipients who were just normal people not celebrities and there was a big screen in the waiting area for us to watch how it all worked.

“I chatted with the Prince for a few minutes and he was quite charming and seemed genuinely interested in what I had done. He certainly seemed to know about the campaign to save the Kent and Canterbury Hospital which I was involved in.”

She added: “In the evening I had a lovely celebration with family and friends at the Quayside and my medal will take pride of place on my lounge table.”