A ROYAL visitor dropped in to a South Yorkshire park to award a top honour given to community projects.
HRH The Princess Royal visited Winthrop Park, Wickersley, Rotherham, a nature therapy garden for the elderly and disabled, to hand out the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.
Princess Anne spent time talking to volunteers and staff from the Second Nature Life Support Garden as well as the High Sheriff of South Yorkshire, Helena Muller and Lord and Lady Scarbrough, the park's patrons.
Trustee David Bowser gave Princess Anne a guided tour of Winthrop Park, which was created from a former sewage treatment works.
David said: "The visit went brilliantly, it's simply a very high honour
to have for such a small charity in South Yorkshire.
"It's a fantastic boost to the volunteers. This is their day and they're aware that winning the award is quite an achievement."
Children from St Albans and Northfield Lane schools, as well as a crowd of residents from nearby houses, lined Morthern Road to greet the princess, waving banners and flags.
Princess Anne also talked to the park's gardeners, tea room staff and garden volunteers, who meet the park's daily visitors.
Dressed in a stone single-breasted skirt suit teamed with a cream high-necked blouse and brooch, the Princess paused for refreshments at the tea room before unveiling a commemorative plaque in the park's main greenhouse seating area.
She then gave out the voluntary service award, a crystal trophy accompanied by a certificate signed by the Queen.
Got a view? Add your comment below.READ MORE">Subscribe to The StarMain news indexYour lettersFeaturesSouth Yorkshire's environmental newsKids ZoneMore business newsMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsLatest sport