CHILDREN’S charity stalwart Ann Parris was at Buckingham Palace on Friday last week to be officially made an MBE by Prince Charles.

Ann was given the award in the Queen’s Birthday Honours last summer and went to the palace for her investiture.

Now she and her husband Gordon are both MBEs, recognised for their work with the Children With Special Needs Foundation.

The Chobham residents set up the charity when Gordon was Mayor of Surrey Heath in 1995-96 and she was Mayoress.

The foundation has since raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to help individual children, schools and other young people’s organisation by paying for equipment, tuition, holidays and special care.

On Friday, Ann was accompanied by Gordon and charity committee members Pauline and Malcolm Way.

“It was an absolutely great occasion and a lovely day out,” Ann told the News & Mail. “We thoroughly enjoyed it.”