Firstly, I would like to congratulate Matthew Robinson on his award from the Queen. He will receive the Queen’s Gallantry Medal after being nominated by Dorset’s Chief Fire Officer, Darran Gunter. Matthew helped rescue five children from a burning house in West Street Abbotsbury in January 2010 with the help of his parents.

Matthew broke in, but realised that the fire was out of control. He then got a ladder and got two children out of the bedroom window. After the oldest daughter climbed down, he then got in through the window to locate the last two children in a smoke filled room. At the time, Inspector Andy Crook, from Dorset Police, said: "The actions of the Robinson family can only be described as heroic and without the quick-thinking and positive actions performed by Matthew, Jackie and Roy, there would have almost certainly been a more serious, if not a fatal, consequence." Chief fire officer Gunter added: ""Matthew is a young man who demonstrated unwavering selflessness in terms of his personal courage and professional acts of saving the lives of up to six people from a very significant house fire."

Matthew is a very unassuming young man and fully deserves the praise and recognition he is now receiving. I know that the Abbotsbury community are very proud of him, as are his parents Jackie and Roy.

Also, I have been asked to remind parishioners in Abbotsbury about the “walk of witness” on Good Friday 6th April. Meditation starts at 2.30pm in St Nicholas’ Church followed by the walk of witness to St Catherine’s chapel.