As a deputy lieutenant of Lincolnshire, one of Petronella Keeling’s roles is to recommend people for public honours and covertly gather some details on their achievements.
So imagine her surprise when the tables were turned and it was she who received an On Her Majesty’s Service letter informing her of becoming a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Petronella, of Church Street, Spalding, has been acknowledged in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her unstinting charity work, most notably with Action Medical Research, which funds research for sick babies and children.
However, she is adamant that she is accepting the honour on behalf of a number of people.
“It’s not just me that’s getting this MBE, it’s my Action Medical Research committee who for 47 years have been absolutely fantastic and worked extraordinarily hard,” she said.
Petronella’s formation of the Spalding committee in 1967, which has regularly raised more than £20,000 per year, stems back to her eponymous boutique which she owned in the 1960s.
The Hall Place shop organised charity fashion shows, held at places such as Springfields.
A regional organiser for a forerunner to Action Medical Research got wind of them and encouraged Petronella to start a fundraising group.
In the early days, Petronella was chairman and shop colleague Christine Sly was secretary.
Over its 47 years, more than 100 people have been involved in the committee – with present day members Jill Warwick, Pauline Goose and Christine Van Egmond involved for the vast majority.
Petronella became Lincolnshire chairman in 1988 and was the trustee representative of the fundraising committees from 1995 to 2003. She also became a formal member of the Action Medical Research charity.
Some of the Spalding committee’s major fundraising events include the town’s annual Midsummer Ball (with Macmillan Cancer) – which takes place this weekend – and the Christmas gift fair at Springfields.
Action Medical Research is responsible for many medical breakthroughs such as vaccines for rubella and polio, ultra-sound scanning in pregnancy and the benefits of pregnant women taking folic acid to counter spina bifida in their babies.
Despite almost half a decade of dedication to the cause, Petronella is showing no signs of wishing to ease up her work.
She said: “It’s amazing that despite all the progress in medicine that there are still hundreds of thousands of sick children and only through research can one make progress.”
Petronella is also chairman of Spalding Town Husbands, a charity which looks after almshouses, and was a governor at Spalding High School from 1988 to 2006, including ten years as chairman from 1994.
She is now awaiting her invitation to St James’ Palace when the MBE honour will be bestowed upon her, possibly by Prince Charles or another prominent member of the Royal Family.
It could be any time within the next six months and husband Anthony, who has been a constant helper with fundraising events, will accompany her.
The couple have three children – Rachel, Andrew and Roger.
Petronella said: “It’s very nice to be honoured and to be given thanks for something I’ve enjoyed doing!
“It’s enabled me to get involved with a lot of interesting and varied activities in my life that I wouldn’t have done otherwise.”
Petronella’s father Len van Geest and uncle John began the flower bulb import company which evolved into the huge Geest empire.
Len was given a public honour in his native Netherlands and her father-in-law, John Keeling, who was vice-chairman of the National Seed Development Organisation, received an OBE in the 1970s.
