Tilshead volunteer honoured

The noble voluntary work of Elizabeth Anson from Tilshead has been marked with an investiture into the Order of St John at a prestigious ceremony on 29 September. The honour was bestowed in the Order’s historic 12th century Priory Church in London’s Clerkenwell.

Becoming a member of the Order of St John is only possible if someone has shown exceptional service to its key foundations – one of which is St John Ambulance. The Order of St John is a Royal Order of Chivalry and each recipient is approved by Her Majesty the Queen, its Sovereign Head.

Mrs Anson has been chairman of Wiltshire's county fundraising committee for the last 12 years and during this time she and her committee have been responsible for raising over £600,000 to support the work of St John Ambulance in Wiltshire and its charitable mission of ensuring no one suffers for a lack of first aid.  She was presented with the Order’s insignia by Rodney Green, the Prior (Chairman) of the Priory of England and the Islands (part of the Order of St John).

An exemplary contribution

Mrs Anson has lived in Tilshead for over 41 years, is editor of the village newsletter and plays an active part in village life.  Until 2010 she had been a magistrate on the Southeast Wiltshire Bench for 19 years and other voluntary work has included being a Samaritan, a member of the Board of Wiltshire Rural Housing Association, a churchwarden and a governor of schools in both the independent and the state sectors.  She was awarded an MBE in 2006.

‘I’m very proud to have been given the honour of being promoted to an Officer of the Order of St John. Volunteering for St John Ambulance gives me the opportunity to make a positive contribution to my community. The work of our Wiltshire volunteers is quite amazing and supporting them means they can go on being the difference between lives lost and lives saved. Today has been a truly rewarding experience.’

The Prior, Rodney Green, said: ‘This honour recognises the dedication that Mrs Anson has shown over the years to help the charity deliver its mission so that no one dies needlessly from a lack of first aid. Elizabeth Anson is a key example of how volunteers can make a real impact to their communities and we hope their story encourages others to learn vital life saving skills.’