A VOLUNTEER has been honoured for her commitment to a first aid charity with a royal order.

Terry Shakespeare of Portland has been volunteering with St John Ambulance for 26 years and has been invested into the Order of St John at a ceremony in London for her long service.

The Order of St John is a royal order of chivalry and each recipient is approved by HM the Queen, its sovereign head.

Mrs Shakespeare said: “I’m extremely proud to be a St John Ambulance volunteer and to be able to use my first aid knowledge to be the difference between a life lost and a life saved. It is an honour to have been invited to become a member of the Order of St John and I feel very privileged.”

The ceremony took place in the Order’s historic 12th century Priory church in Clerkenwell, London, in December.

Becoming a member of the Order is only possible if someone has shown exceptional service to its key foundations, one of which is St John Ambulance, and Mrs Shakespeare, 63, was honoured for her devoted work and commitment.

Alison Green, a spokesman for St John, said: “The work of volunteers such a Terry is essentially to the charity. “Research has shown that up to 150,000 people a year could be given a chance to live if more people knew basic first aid.”

Mrs Shakespeare is currently superintendent of the Portland Division, having started and run the Portland Badger Sett, for under-10-year-olds, for 24 years.

She was presented with the Order’s insignia by Rodney Green, chairman of the Priory of England. Mr Green said: “Mrs Shakespeare has been invited to join the Order of St John in recognition of her dedication to helping St John Ambulance and its life-saving work.

“She is a wonderful example of how volunteers can make a positive difference in their communities.”