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Meet the ‘ordinary people’ who get to play a part in the King’s coronation

King Charles’s coronation is being hailed a “People’s Coronation” as the monarch has invited hundreds of community champions who have worked tirelessly to help others to the momentous event.

King Charles and Camilla, the Queen, have invited 850 people to the ceremony on Saturday 6 May, including more than 450 recipients of the British Empire Medal and young people and volunteers from groups chosen by the Royal Family.

Those invited share their joy and modestly play down their community efforts by saying they just wanted to do their bit to help people.

‘As an immigrant who grew up poor, this means the world to me’

Dr Hareen De Silva was awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to general practice during the Covid-19 pandemic. He has now been invited to the King's coronation and says as an immigrant to this country, it means a lot to him (Photo: supplied)
Dr Hareen De Silva was awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to general practice during the Covid-19 pandemic. He has now been invited to the King’s coronation and says as an immigrant to this country, it means a lot to him (Photo: supplied)

Born in Sri Lanka, Dr Hareen De Silva came to live in the UK with his parents when he was just six months old.

He tells i he remembers growing up in one of the poorest areas of London and when he thinks about where he came from and the fact that he has now been invited to attend the King’s coronation, he feels he has to pinch himself.

“My parents brought me here when I was a baby and I just remember growing up poor,” says the 37-year-old. “To think about where we came from as a family and where I came from and to end up getting a British Empire Medal and be invited to the coronation and be part of history seems unbelievable.

“It is a culmination of everything my parents started. They educated me, they made sure I had food in my belly and clothes on my back.

“I feel proud that I am able to give something back to them with these achievements and that feels very heartwarming.”

Dr De Silva was awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to general practice during the Covid-19 pandemic. He worked in numerous settings including NHS Nightingale, for the Test and Trace service and at various GP clinics in London.

While living in Doncaster, South Yorkshire before the pandemic, Dr De Silva volunteered as a street doctor offering care to homeless people during his lunch break in between morning and afternoon surgeries. He has also worked as a doctor for charity The Kids Village in Costa Rica and now is mainly involved in humanitarian aid.

Dr Hareen De Silva was awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to general practice during the Covid-19 pandemic. He has now been invited to the King's coronation and says as an immigrant to this country, it means a lot to him (Photo: supplied)
Dr Hareen De Silva was awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to general practice during the Covid-19 pandemic. He has now been invited to the King’s coronation and says as an immigrant to this country, it means a lot to him (Photo: supplied)

“I remember celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and just being in the street and enjoying being part of the nation and sharing in the event with everyone around me.

“It is great to be recognised in this way. I am really looking forward to witnessing the ceremony in person and feeding off the atmosphere around me and meeting people who have probably done far more amazing things than I have.

“It means the world to me, especially as an immigrant to this country.”

‘Singing and dancing makes people smile. I don’t like seeing them scared or upset’

Joan Scott, 57, a community champion at Asda, was awarded a British Empire Medal in recognition for the work she did during the Covid pandemic - including entertaining customers with her singing and dancing. She has now been invited to the King's Coronation (Photo: supplied)
Joan Scott, a community champion at Asda, was awarded a British Empire Medal in recognition for the work she did during the Covid pandemic – including entertaining customers with her singing and dancing. She has now been invited to the King’s coronation (Photo: supplied)

Joan Scott loves her role as community champion at Asda so much, she describes it as “such a lovely job, it doesn’t even feel like a job as it’s an absolute joy.”

The grandmother, who lives in Gwynedd, North Wales, was stunned when she was awarded a British Empire Medal in recognition for the work she did during the Covid pandemic – including entertaining customers with her singing and dancing.

“Life has been such a whirlwind since I received the British Empire Medal,” she says. “I am so excited and proud to be invited to the Coronation – but it will be bittersweet too because my late mum and dad watched the Queen’s coronation from outside Westminster Abbey in 1953, and now I will be watching the King’s Coronation from inside.

“It will be bittersweet because I’ll be missing my parents. Even though they died years ago, I miss them each and every day, but I know they would be very happy and proud of me.”

Joan, who is married to Andrew and has a son Michael and grandchildren Harrison and Ivy, says she has a photograph of her late parents which she will be carrying in her purse at the coronation, as well as photos of her grandchildren.

Joan Scott, 57, a community champion at Asda, was awarded a British Empire Medal in recognition for the work she did during the Covid pandemic - including entertaining customers with her singing and dancing. She has now been invited to the King's Coronation. Joan says it will be bittersweet as her late parents Joseph and Ivy won't be there as they watched the Queen's coronation from outside Westminster Abbey. However, she will be taking this photograph of them in her purse (Photo: supplied)
Joan Scott, 57, a community champion at Asda, was awarded a British Empire Medal in recognition for the work she did during the Covid pandemic – including entertaining customers with her singing and dancing. She has now been invited to the King’s Coronation. Joan says it will be bittersweet as her late parents Joseph and Ivy won’t be there as they watched the Queen’s coronation from outside Westminster Abbey. However, she will be taking this photograph of them in her purse (Photo: supplied)

Joan has worked at Asda Pwllheli as community champion for 11 years and says “It’s a job I absolutely love and no day is ever the same.”

Joan was recognised for her work in the community which included keeping customers safe while they were shopping during Covid.

“Everybody was wearing masks and social distancing and it was a difficult time,” she recalls. “But for every bad experience, there were a thousand good times and I got to know my locals even better during the pandemic and enjoyed helping people.

“I can’t sing to save my life, but I love dancing and as soon as I hear some music, I start to dance. I love dressing up and doing daft things for fundraising and I like to make people smile because I don’t like them being scared or upset.

“It also helped me as it stopped me panicking during the Covid situation. How can you not smile when you’re singing and dancing?”

Joan Scott, 57, a community champion at Asda, was awarded a British Empire Medal in recognition for the work she did during the Covid pandemic - including entertaining customers with her singing and dancing. She has now been invited to the King's Coronation. Joan with Lord Lieutenant of Gwynedd Edmund Bailey at Caernarfon Castle when she was presented with her British Empire Meda last year (Photo: supplied)
Joan Scott, 57, a community champion at Asda, was awarded a British Empire Medal in recognition for the work she did during the Covid pandemic – including entertaining customers with her singing and dancing. She has now been invited to the King’s coronation. Joan with Lord Lieutenant of Gwynedd Edmund Bailey at Caernarfon Castle when she was presented with her British Empire Medal last year (Photo: supplied)

Joan says she still finds it hard to believe she will actually be at the coronation. “It’s not just me, it’s all my colleagues and I can’t praise Asda enough for giving me a job I absolutely adore and allowing me to make it my own.

“I am going to have to take lots of tissues with me to the coronation because I know I’ll be an emotional wreck. I am a big softie and cry at the slightest thing, so this will be a very emotional and exciting experience for me.”

‘I’ve been a Red Cross volunteer since I was 10. To get this invite is a huge honour’

Richard Stibbles has been a Red Cross volunteer since the age of 10. The 42-year-old was recognised with a British Empire Medal for his work during Covid which saw him leave his home in Scotland to head to London where he worked 10-hour days in full PPE transporting Covid patients to hospitals. He became very ill with Covid himself, but since recovering, he is still working as a Red Cross volunteer (Photo: supplied)
Richard Stibbles has been a Red Cross volunteer since the age of 10. The 42-year-old was recognised with a British Empire Medal for his work during Covid which saw him leave his home in Scotland to head to London where he worked 10-hour days in full PPE transporting Covid patients to hospitals. He became very ill with Covid himself, but since recovering, he is still working as a Red Cross volunteer (Photo: supplied)

At the tender age of 10, Richard Stibbles watched a Red Cross volunteer performing resuscitation on a mannequin and he immediately joined the charity’s youth group.

Richard has now been a volunteer 32 years and was recognised with a British Empire Medal for his work during Covid which saw him leaving his home in Scotland to head to London where he worked 10-hour days in full PPE transporting Covid patients to hospitals and others to care homes and their families.

Richard ended up becoming extremely ill with Covid himself and was rushed to hospital in London where many of his organs began failing. However, after nine weeks in hospital, he recovered and was transferred back to Scotland where he had to learn to walk again after losing the power in his legs.

Despite his life threatening ordeal, Richard is still doing voluntary work for the Red Cross today and was astonished to receive an invite to the King’s coronation.

“I honestly thought those who would be invited to the coronation would be people like friends of the Royal Family, celebrities and government officials,” he tells i. “It never dawned on me that they would think of inviting people who had been given an award, such as the British Empire Medal.”

Richard Stibbles has been a Red Cross volunteer since the age of 10. The 42-year-old was recognised with a British Empire Medal for his work during Covid which saw him leave his home in Scotland to head to London where he worked 10-hour days in full PPE transporting Covid patients to hospitals. He became very ill with Covid himself, but since recovering, he is still working as a Red Cross volunteer (Photo: supplied)
Richard Stibbles has been a Red Cross volunteer since the age of 10. The 42-year-old was recognised with a British Empire Medal for his work during Covid which saw him leave his home in Scotland to head to London where he worked 10-hour days in full PPE transporting Covid patients to hospitals. He became very ill with Covid himself, but since recovering, he is still working as a Red Cross volunteer (Photo: supplied)

Richards tells i he feels it is a huge privilege to be invited to the coronation and it makes all the hard work feel worthwhile. “I have never had the opportunity to do anything like this in my life and probably never will again,” he says.

Richard Stibbles has been a Red Cross volunteer since the age of 10. The 42-year-old was recognised with a British Empire Medal for his work during Covid which saw him leave his home in Scotland to head to London where he worked 10-hour days in full PPE transporting Covid patients to hospitals. He became very ill with Covid himself, but since recovering, he is still working as a Red Cross volunteer (Photo: supplied)
Richard Stibbles has been a Red Cross volunteer since the age of 10. The 42-year-old was recognised with a British Empire Medal for his work during Covid which saw him leave his home in Scotland to head to London where he worked 10-hour days in full PPE transporting Covid patients to hospitals. He became very ill with Covid himself, but since recovering, he is still working as a Red Cross volunteer (Photo: supplied)

“When I look back at when I became ill with Covid and all the bad times, this makes it all feel worth it. To be recognised with the British Empire Medal meant so much to me, but to now be invited to the coronation is a real privilege. It is great to know there are people out there who have appreciated what you’ve done and put you forward for something like this.”

‘Being from a marginalised community, it means a lot to be recognised and be invited to be part of history’

Usman Rafiq, a technician at Glasgow Caledonian University, was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to education and to students with hearing impairments after establishing a monthly hearing aid repair clinic at the university. He has now been invited to the King's coronation and says it means a lot to him, especially coming from a marginalised community himself (Photo: supplied)
Usman Rafiq, a technician at Glasgow Caledonian University, was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to education and to students with hearing impairments after establishing a monthly hearing aid repair clinic at the university. He has now been invited to the King’s coronation and says it means a lot to him, especially coming from a marginalised community himself (Photo: supplied)

Growing up, Usman Rafiq had a good friend who wore a hearing aid and he became aware of some of the challenges affecting people from the deaf community.

Usman is a technician at Glasgow Caledonian University and was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to education and to students with hearing impairments after establishing a monthly hearing aid repair clinic at the university.

“I realised that students at the university who had difficulty with hearing loss were having to sit at the front of the lectures and didn’t always have access to batteries and things required for their hearing aids,” he explains.

“So I helped set up a hearing aid repair monthly drop-in service at the university where students could come and have their hearing aids checked and get access to services that they would normally have to take a day off their studies to get repairs done at their local audiology department.”

Usman has also done a lot of work raising awareness about deafness issues and about the importance of British Sign Language.

“A lot of young people go to places where there is a lot of loud noise, such as concerts and music festivals and they don’t really take into consideration the impact this can have on their hearing,” he says.

“There’s also a stigma around wearing hearing aids, especially among young people that I wanted to tackle. A lot of young people don’t like the idea of wearing hearing aids because they associate them with the elderly and as a result, they won’t wear them even though they need them.”

Usman was awarded the British Empire Medal for his work making a difference to the deaf community and he was overcome with emotion at being invited to the King’s coronation.

“Being recognised for community work is very empowering,” he says. “Working with marginalised communities such as the hearing loss community is crucial for promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in our society.

“By understanding and addressing the unique challenges and needs of these communities, we can ensure that everyone has equal access to opportunities, resources and services.

“As someone from a marginalised community myself, it means a lot to me to be invited to this ceremony. Being a British Pakistani, I didn’t really see myself reflected in British history growing up. My parents came here in the 50s and a big part of growing up was learning about British society.

“To be recognised for giving back to the community means a lot to me, especially as a Muslim as part and parcel of my culture is to support people.

“It will be amazing to be part of such an important event as the King’s coronation and it is wonderful that so many people from all different backgrounds have been invited to be part of this historical occasion.

‘It’s cool to be invited to the coronation’: The ‘Boy in the Tent’ on why he can’t wait

Max Woosey, 13, slept in a tent in his garden for three years in a huge fundraising venture. He was is one of the youngest recipients of the British Empire Medal and is now going to be witnessing history at the King's coronation (Photo: supplied)
Max Woosey, 13, slept in a tent in his garden for three years in a huge fundraising venture. He was is one of the youngest recipients of the British Empire Medal and is now going to be witnessing history at the King’s coronation (Photo: supplied)

When Max Woosey’s neighbour, who had been diagnosed with cancer, handed the schoolboy his tent and jokingly said: ‘Go and have an adventure in it because I know I won’t be able to any more’, he could never have imagined the far-reaching consequences of his gesture.

After his neighbour Rick Abbott died in February 2020 just before Covid hit, a then 10-year-old Max asked his parents if he could camp outside in the back garden.

What began as one night in a tent spiralled into Max wanting to sleep out there for a week and Max ultimately spent every night for three years sleeping outside in his tent. His feat captured the public’s imagination, and he raised a staggering £750,000 for North Devon Hospice which supported his neighbour.

Max, who only recently returned to sleeping back in his bed inside at the start of April, has received a lot of recognition for his amazing achievements – including being featured in a story in his beloved Beano comic, getting a Guinness World Record and becoming one of the youngest ever recipients of the British Empire Medal.

And now the youngster has been invited to attend the coronation of King Charles III and will be mingling with royalty, celebrities and world leaders at the historic occasion.

Speaking to i about being invited to the coronation, Max says: “I think it’s a real privilege. It’s a really cool thing to be able to say you went to the King’s coronation when you were 13-years-old.

“The only time you usually find out about a coronation and what happened during it is when you look inside an old broken history book. So it’s going to be quite cool to be there in real life and witness it for myself.”

He adds: “My family enjoy teasing me and saying stuff like: ‘All you’ve done is sleep in a tent!’ and ‘You’ve got a Guinness World Record for sleeping!’

“They are right, so I can’t really argue with them! But I normally try to think of insults to get them back. We enjoy a bit of banter and teasing between us.”

Max, who lives in Braunton, north Devon with his parents Mark and Rachael and has two older sisters, first asked to sleep outside in the garden in his tent near the start of the pandemic. He enjoyed it so much, he set up a fundraising page. A night turned into a week and three years later, he was still out there.

Max Woosey, 13, slept in a tent in his garden for three years in a huge fundraising venture. He was is one of the youngest recipients of the British Empire Medal and is now going to be witnessing history at the King's coronation (Photo: supplied)
Max Woosey, 13, slept in a tent in his garden for three years in a huge fundraising venture. He was is one of the youngest recipients of the British Empire Medal and is now going to be witnessing history at the King’s coronation (Photo: supplied)

Rachael says: “For him to achieve what he has done and raised so much money for the hospice shows that children are capable of a lot.”

Max Woosey, 13, slept in a tent in his garden for three years in a huge fundraising venture. He was is one of the youngest recipients of the British Empire Medal and is now going to be witnessing history at the King's coronation (Photo: supplied)
Max Woosey, 13, slept in a tent in his garden for three years in a huge fundraising venture. He was is one of the youngest recipients of the British Empire Medal and is now going to be witnessing history at the King’s coronation (Photo: supplied)

As a recipient of the British Empire Medal, Max has been invited to attend the coronation in London and with him being under 18, he is allowed to take an adult with him and will be going with his dad Mark, who recently finished his service in the Royal Marines.

“I feel so proud that Max is invited to the coronation,” says Rachael. “He is really into history and loves the stories and people behind it. And now he is going to go and witness history.

“It seems really fitting that a child has been included in the coronation invitations and that he has been recognised in this way. It smashes the stereotypes that some people have about children and shows they are capable of a lot if you give them a voice and let them be heard.

Max Woosey, 13, slept in a tent in his garden for three years in a huge fundraising venture. He was is one of the youngest recipients of the British Empire Medal and is now going to be witnessing history at the King's coronation (Photo: supplied)
Max Woosey, 13, slept in a tent in his garden for three years in a huge fundraising venture. He was is one of the youngest recipients of the British Empire Medal and is now going to be witnessing history at the King’s coronation (Photo: supplied)

Max says he is getting excited as the coronation fast approaches. “It’s going to be a huge global event and lots of people are going to be watching it on TV all over the world,” he says.

“It will be really nice to be part of it and have front row seats and actually see it happening.”

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