The Queen welcomes community volunteers to Clarence House

In a reception at Clarence House, The Queen has hosted members of the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) who provide meals on wheels and lunch clubs across the UK, acknowledging their efforts to provide nutritious food and reduce loneliness. 

The NACC unites, supports and represents everyone working in and associated with catering in the UK care sector. For more than 30 years, it has been committed to raising standards of care catering and championing the positive impact nutrition, hydration and mealtimes have on the physical and emotional health and wellbeing of older and vulnerable people in care settings.

During today's reception, Her Majesty was presented with an Honorary Membership of the Association by the NACC National Chair, in acknowledgement of her longstanding support for the organisation. 

The Queen also welcomed representatives from Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), one of Britain’s largest volunteering charities with volunteers supporting the NHS, adult social care and thousands of vulnerable people in the community. Her Majesty has been President of RVS since 2012 and became Patron in May of last year. 

The charity has recently unveiled a digital platform, GoVo, which makes it easier for people to find flexible volunteering opportunities. To raise awareness of this, the RVS has launched its ‘Role of a Lunchtime’ campaign, which encourages people to use the platform to find opportunities to volunteer in their lunch break. 

The Queen met RVS supporters, including Tasha Ghouri and Gaby Roslin, as well representatives from a range of charities who use the website to fulfil volunteering roles. 

In the Clarence House garden, Her Majesty visited RVS's 'Role of a Lunchtime' food truck, where social media star Ben Newman, known as ‘Spudman’, was ready and waiting to serve hot jacket potatoes to guests.