By Milly Saber
At 101 years old, Beryl Carr, a volunteer at Ealing hospital, saw three Royal Coronations in her lifetime: King George VI in 1937, Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and King Charles III last weekend.
Carr volunteers at the League of Friends Cafe at Ealing Hospital, and has done some celebrating of her own recently. This was because she finally received her MBE for her services, after being unable to attend the proper ceremony.
In 2003, preparing food and working at the till was what Carr had to do when she started working at the League of Friends Cafe.
“I’ve made a fair few sandwiches in my time”, Carr said, “but I really enjoy the social side of it. I can’t think of anything worse than being stuck in front of the TV all day. The great thing about volunteering is that you are helping other people, but in a funny way, you are helping yourself as well”.
Being awarded an MBE is not the only accomplishment for Beryl, however. The Happy List from The Independent, which is announced every year, gives kudos to 50 Britons “whose kindness, ingenuity and dedication makes them some of the country’s most inspirational individuals” (The Independent)