🏰 South Derbyshire Tenants Enjoy a Royally Deserved Day at Buckingham Palace Garden Party
Two South Derbyshire Housing tenants, Maria Hanson MBE and Angela Kirkland, enjoyed a royally memorable day out this May after being invited to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party in recognition of their public service and contribution to the community. Read on to learn more about these remarkable South Derbyshire residents, their stories, and how they received their invitations to the Palace.
Angela Kirkland
Angela was born in Wiltshire, the eldest of nine children. She first developed her love of planes while working at Kimble Airfield, where she helped prepare aircraft for painting. Angela later moved to RAF Lyneham, where she cleaned officers’ houses and babysat for their families. It was also at RAF Lyneham that she met her husband, Roy, who worked in the catering corps. After a short engagement, they married; however, while on their honeymoon, Roy was called back to base immediately when he was posted to Christmas Island for a year, where the RAF was working on nuclear bomb testing.
Following her husband’s return from Christmas Island, and the birth of their first child, Angela’s growing family was posted all around Europe with Roy’s work. They lived in Germany, Wales, Ireland and in various locations around the UK during the years. Angela has fond memories of her time in Germany – the good food, welcoming city and the great friends she met made living away from home that much easier.
Angela, Roy and their children settled in South Derbyshire, where her children would grow up and go on to have families of their own. Sadly, Roy passed away around 20 years ago. Angela previously lived in a house of her own in Castle Gresley, but due to deterioration of her eyesight her house became unsafe for her to live in. She applied to South Derbyshire District Council for a Council bungalow, which she moved into around six years ago, which gave her a renewed sense of safety and independence.
Angela was invited to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party this year due to Roy’s service in the forces and attended the Party with one of her daughters, Melissa. Angela’s favourite moments from the Buckingham Palace Garden Party were seeing Princess Anne and arriving through the palace’s grand gated entrance by taxi. She also fondly remembered the excellent afternoon tea provided by the Palace!
Angela has had a jam-packed year, as she also went for a fly in a Spitfire! Her lifelong love of aircraft, coupled with her wish to mark her upcoming 90th birthday with something truly memorable, inspired her to apply for a Spitfire flight from Tatenhill Airfield. With both the Spitfire and Angela celebrating their 90th year, the experience was a wonderful full-circle moment. When asked about her key to a long and happy life, Angela replied “Go for lots of walks, eat good food, and spend time with friends and family.” If we follow her advice, we may still be flying at 90!
Maria Hanson MBE
Originally from Birmingham, Maria’s family moved to South Derbyshire in the 1960’s. Maria became in need of council housing from South Derbyshire District Council following a period of severe ill health during her adulthood; after having 18 surgeries, she now needed an adapted home with emergency cords and an alert bracelet for her safety. This proved lifechanging for Maria as her health has been further impacted over the years, and adapted housing gave her an increased sense of safety.
Maria founded her charity, ‘me & dee’, following the death of her much-loved cousin, Delia, who suffered from cancer. The idea grew from a shared dream: to create a charity that supported people without rigid ‘tick-box’ criteria. Both Maria and Delia had experienced how difficult it could be to access help when their circumstances did not meet a charity’s specific requirements. Determined to make support simpler, more compassionate and more accessible, Maria turned their vision into reality — and ‘me & dee’ was born.
‘me & dee’ make accessing support as simple as possible; along with no tick boxes, there is no discrimination between age and gender for applicants, meaning that anyone of any age with any life threatening, life shortening, and terminal condition can apply. Charity staff speak personally with each applicant, listen carefully and empathetically to their needs, and do their best to match them with the most appropriate support.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Maria herself, and was able to ask this extraordinary South Derbyshire resident about her charity work, her MBE, and her recent attendance at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party…
Your charity, me & dee, has been helping families in need for 20 years. Is there a particular case (or cases) that stuck with you/stood out to you?
With over 9000 families supported, and so very many passed away and many far too soon, there is a very long list. We currently support many children with rare terminal conditions. Taylor stands out to me as he is only 11 and has had 97 surgeries, including multiple amputations. His life is full of hospital, invasive treatment, pain – but he is always smiling. He is a junior ambassador for me & dee.
One of Derby County Football Club's longest standing players, Craig Forsyth, was a patron of me & dee. How did that come about?
Craig has previously been a Patron and gave great support during that time. He had been looking for a local charity and loved the work that me & dee does and chose me & dee for his testimonial game. His support was very much appreciated during that time.
When did you get your MBE? How did it feel to have your contribution to the charity sector recognised with an MBE?
It was the most incredible time and still feels like a pinch me moment – I didn’t believe it until I saw it printed in the New Year’s Honours 10 years ago. Nothing is done for a thank you, and it was such an extremely proud moment to stand in front of King Charles (or Prince Charles as he was then!)
How did you get invited to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party? What did it mean to you personally to attend?
me & dee was awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service in November 2025, which is the equivalent of an MBE for a charity. We were one of only 3 charities in Derby and Derbyshire to receive that honour last year. It was beyond incredible to receive that email for me, me & dee and our volunteers. I was invited along with one other volunteer and took my niece Alison who is Delia’s daughter in law.
Did you see any of the Royal Family (or any other famous faces!) at the Garden Party?
We had wandered over to the front of the Royal Tea Tent and were unexpectedly asked to wait there by Palace staff. Gradually, all the other guests, several thousand of them, built up behind us, and so we accidentally ended up right at the front of the queue as Prince William, Princess Kate, Zara and the Royal Party walked within inches of where we were standing as they made their way back to the Palace. I will never forget it. A once in a lifetime experience – what wonderful memories I have of that day.
What was your favourite thing about the Garden Party?
There are no words to cover how truly extraordinary the experience was - the whole atmosphere, being in the Palace grounds, the afternoon tea, the splendour, the people watching, but above all, being within touching distance of the Royals.
27 July 2026