A Royal Invitation

Our Chief Executive recently attended one of the Queen’s Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace. Emma was specially invited to attend the prestigious event in recognition of her long contribution to public service. Her career at Stockdales spans 30 years, with the last 17 as Chief Executive when she has been responsible for steering the charity through both exciting and challenging times.

The Queen holds three garden parties each year in either the gardens of Buckingham Palace or the Palace of Holyrood House. Guests from all walks of life are nominated for invitation by a long established network of sponsors. Those who are successful receive a personal invitation from the Queen to attend one of the events. Guests have the opportunity to meet the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal Family along with enjoying afternoon tea and exploring the Palace gardens.

Emma went along to the garden party with her husband Paul. She said, “I was delighted and touched to be nominated and to receive the invitation. It was an honour and a privilege to attend this special event and I thoroughly enjoyed the day! It meant so much to me to be recognised in this way, as this was not only a personal accolade for me but most importantly one for Stockdales too.”

Emma went on to say, “My team and I are dedicated to making a difference to people with learning disabilities. It’s second nature to us and in our blood, so often it’s all systems go without shouting about it. This special recognition celebrates the life-changing work we do round the clock, every single day of the year.”

Well done to Emma!