Volunteers at the Royal Star and Garter Homes were honoured at an awards ceremony last month.

Margot Heyhoe is a volunteer for the charity, she said: "I feel privileged being able to help raise funds for such amazing veterans. I have been a volunteer on both the fundraising and the activities but since the move from Richmond to Surbiton, I now just help on the fundraising side.

"My friend Raquel Ebbutt who was a fundraising volunteer and work colleague, suggested that I come to one of the volunteer recruiting days back in the 90s as I was leaving full time work. As my Grandfather had been killed in World War I and my father had been in the RAF during the Second World War, I thought it would be a great charity to help.

"When I was doing a bucket collection at Chessington Garden Centre, a man got chatting about the services and knew the charity so put a note in the bucket and I said, 'do you know, you could double for Michael Caine?' He smiled and walked away then turned back and said, 'I am Michael Caine’."

The charity held an awards ceremony and buffet tea party on Thursday, April 28.