EXCITEMENT is building ahead of King Charles paying a visit to the Wee County later this week.
The head of the Royal Family will be stopping into The Gate Charity in Alloa on Thursday, January 16 to hear about the work that they do.
There, he will meet the staff and volunteers who make up The Gate – who specialise in operating a foodbank and support service for people struggling with homelessness and food insecurity.
Jilly Guild, chief officer with the charity, will be hosting the king on his arrival and told the Advertiser how she was feeling ahead of the visit.
“We’re really proud,” she said. “We’re really excited about it and it’s wonderful that he’s chosen to come here.
“We’re really excited for it. We want to portray the charity in the best light and make sure we get the information across.
“We’re all quite nervous and the pressure is on us to make sure that the message is right.”
Alongside meeting with The Gate’s team of staff and volunteers, of which now encompasses 70-80 volunteers and 11 permanent employees, the king will also speak with recipients of the King’s and Queen’s Awards.
Among them is Linda McLeod, group chair for Breathe Easy Clackmannanshire, who will have the opportunity to speak with the king and tell them about her cause.
Breathe Easy help countless people living with lung conditions and help raise awareness of lung cancer and the effect it has on people.
Linda added: “I was honoured to meet his late mother in early 2021 and that was quite the experience for me.
“I am excited, I’ve to introduce the trustees to him and these two women have put a lot of time and energy into the group.
“I’m pleased that we’re getting the recognition, it’s a great charity and we offer support to a lot of people who suffer from lung conditions.
“It’s a scary thing living with lung disease but there’s always somebody to speak to.”
Share