Latest news with #TheKing'sAward
Belfast Telegraph
16-05-2025
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
Royal welcome as Princess Anne meets schoolchildren and veterans on surprise visit to Derry
She met young people in the Fountain estate before speaking with war veterans in Ebrington, which has been transformed from an Army barracks into an asset for the city. Children from Fountain Primary and Nursery schools lined the streets waving Union flags to welcome the Princess Royal for her first engagement of the day. Princess Anne presented with flowers on visit to Londonderry Opened in 1972, the Cathedral Youth Club was awarded The King's Award for Voluntary Service in 2024. The youth club has been providing community activities and initiatives for over 50 years, including programmes for older people, such as art classes, patchwork classes and Irish history classes. Making her way to the other side of the River Foyle, Anne greeted veterans in front of the International Sailor Statue at Ebrington Square. Speaking to this newspaper, Jack Garfield and Frank Brown from the Royal Naval Association outlined the significance of the statue. They said it was a replica of a statue from Halifax in Canada and made by the same sculptor. 'The sailor is carrying his hammock,' Mr Garfield explained. 'That's how you went from ship to ship, carrying your hammock and your kit bag – that was your whole worldly possessions. 'He's called the International Sailor because, during the Second World War, we had American allies and Canadian and Portuguese and other places. 'It is to let the public know what it was all about and it will be there when we're gone.' During the war, Derry and the River Foyle were of immense strategic importance and played a major role in the Battle of the North Atlantic. The North Atlantic became the crucial supply line for food and munitions to Britain during that period and, in recognition of Derry's vital role for the Allies, it was decided that the River Foyle should be the location of the formal U-Boat surrender. A series of commemorative events to mark the 80th anniversary are taking place in the area from May 15-18. Mr Garfield and Mr Brown said they mark the occasion every year because the U-boats intended to 'cripple Britain' and 'if they did it would've been the end of the war, and Hitler would've been here instead of the Princess Royal'. He said it was an 'extra special' anniversary and that other branches from Cork to Derry will be joining them over the coming days. Princess Anne visits Ebrington site in Londonderry The princess then met with a number of owners and employees from businesses in Ebrington. That included James Huey who was first to open a business on the site called the Walled City Brewery. He told Anne that it was 10 years to the day since he had opened and quipped that it was nice of her to travel over to 'celebrate our birthday with us', which drew a laugh. With award-winning businesses moving into the site recently, Mr Huey said the visit is another sign that 'Ebrington has finally made it'. On her way to Ebrington Hotel, the princess was presented with a bouquet of flowers by a young girl. She attended a small reception at the hotel with guests including Royal Navy personnel, veterans and families, the Royal Naval Association, Canadian naval visitors and naval attaches. Ebrington Hotel owner Cecil Doherty was delighted with the visit and said the venue was built to cater for such high-profile events. He added that it's a 'great occasion for the entire Ebrington site' which is 'a symbol of peace and reconciliation'. On her final engagement of the day, Anne visited the Clinical Translational Research & Innovation Centre (C-TRIC), a state-of-the-art facility and not-for-profit company based on the Altnagelvin Hospital site. C-TRIC is a regional asset that facilitates collaboration between universities and life and health science companies with the NHS, enabling clinical research aimed at improving patient care in the community.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Princess Anne visits Londonderry to mark Battle of Atlantic
The Princess Royal has made a visit to Londonderry to attend a commemoration marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of the Atlantic. Princess Anne met with World War Two veterans, Royal Navy personnel, members of the Royal Naval Association and Canadian naval visitors during a reception at the Ebrington site in the city. The wartime naval base at Derry was vital to the protection of convoys in the Atlantic and, at one time, 140 Allied escort ships were based on the River Foyle. It was one of a number of engagements the Princess Royal carried out during her visit to Derry. Earlier, Princess Anne was welcomed to the Cathedral Youth Club by local primary schoolchildren. The youth club, formed 50 years ago, was last year awarded The King's Award for Voluntary Service. She later viewed the International Sailor Statue at Ebrington Square before attending the reception to mark the ending of the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign of World War Two. Her final visit of the day was to Altnagelvin hospital's Clinical Translational Research & Innovation Centre (C-TRIC), a state-of-the-art clinical research facility. The German U-boats surrendered 'yards from our house' Cadets remember Canadian airmen of WWII
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
West Midlands firms celebrate Kings Awards success
A pioneering engineering firm is celebrating after receiving The King's Award for Enterprise in & Worrall is one of 12 businesses across the West Midlands to get a King's Award on Tuesday in various by the government as the UK's most prestigious business award, they recognise some of the best companies operating in the country in a range of sand casting specialists Grainger & Worrall, based in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, works with automotive and aerospace companies across the world. But it is the firm's cutting edge work in an area known as gigacasting that has attracted attention in recent years, particularly with electric vehicle (EV) car chassis have been produced from hundreds of parts which are then welded together by robots on a production gigacasting means casting structures in much fewer - often just two - very large parts which are then technique ultimately cuts manufacturing time and costs, as well as producing lighter structures, key for EV production, a spokesperson for the firm says. The firm has previously won three Queen's Awards and Mr Eldridge said they were all "very special".He said The King's Award "reflects the dedication, creativity and expertise of our talented team" and that there would be a chance for them to celebrate properly later in the year."We are putting Bridgnorth on the global map when it comes to producing components that will help drive sustainable manufacturing for years to come," he added. Hereford-based business Level Peaks received The King's Award for International by ex-UK Special Forces veterans, the firm supplies defence and security equipment to the UK government and governments Swinton, its business director, said the award served as a "meaningful recognition" of its growth."It stands as a testament to the commitment, professionalism, and contributions of the individuals within our organisation who have made that progress possible," she Pure Spring Water Ltd, also in Hereford, was recognised in the innovation category for launching the world's first spring water bottle made from 100% recycled aluminium. Matt Crocker, managing director, said the firm was thrilled with the accolade."Since launching four years ago, we have sold over 10 million bottles," he said."Innovation is at the heart of everything we do - not just in our products, but in how we think, how we work, and how we challenge convention to create real impact and become market leaders. "To win a King's Award is an extraordinary honour and a testament to the hard work and creativity of our entire team."The award programme, now in its 59th year, has recognised more than 8,000 companies since its inception in recognised in the innovation category wass TMT First, a Staffordshire-based business that offers a mobile component repair process, designed to reduce costs, improve sustainability and eliminate electronic waste.A spokesperson for the company said they aimed to keep "technology alive for longer". West Midlands recipients Berrington Pure Spring Water LTD, HerefordshireGrainger and Worrall Ltd, ShropshireTMT First Limited, StaffordshireKPM Marine LTD, BirminghamLevel Peaks Associates Ltd, HerefordshireMobell Communications Limited, StaffordshireBowers & Jones Ltd, BilstonExol (Holdings) Limited, WednesburyMade Media Ltd, BirminghamRunFlat International Limited, BirminghamSEADA Technology Ltd, WorcestershireFabweld Steel Products Ltd, Shropshire
