An Ipswich charity has been honoured with an invitation to a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace.

The invitation, received by Nicky Willshere, the chief officer at Citizens Advice Ipswich, acknowledged the significant contributions the charity has made to the people of Ipswich.

On May 8, Ms Willshere, alongside her operations manager, Margaret Vane, travelled to London to take part in the prestigious event.

The pair joined the King, Queen, Princess Anne, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Sophie, and other esteemed guests in the opulent palace gardens for an afternoon tea party.

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Reflecting on the invitation, Ms Willshere said: “When I received the letter I was really chuffed.

"I thought it would be a great chance to start off our Anniversary celebrations – Citizens Advice Ipswich is 50 this year and this event was the first party.

“It’s an honour to have been selected to attend and it was great to represent Citizens Advice Ipswich.

"I just wish I could have taken all the volunteers and staff with us.”

Ms Vane said: “It was a once-in-a-lifetime event for sure, and it was an honour to know that the hard work of all our volunteers and staff to support the community, often helping people in very challenging situations, was being recognised.”

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The charity, which recently helped nearly 10,000 clients, has been instrumental in securing vital financial relief for its service users.

Its effective advice and advocacy have resulted in £1.4 million of debts being written off, and over £2.5 million income gained across the Ipswich area.

The privilege of attending the royal tea party is seen not only as recognition of the work done by Ms Willshere and Ms Vane but also as validation for the entire team at Citizens Advice Ipswich, whose unwavering commitment to service continues to positively impact the local community.