PHOTOS: Beyond Radio among community groups invited to meet King Charles at Lancaster Castle

Beyond Radio was honoured to be invited to meet the King at a special reception for local community groups at Lancaster Castle.

Duncan Moore, our Head of Community Programming and Personnel, and Greg Lambert, Head of Communications and chair of the Beyond Radio management group, were among the local people who spoke to His Majesty during his visit to the city on Monday.

The King spent time chatting to representatives of many local businesses and organisations at Atkinson's coffee shop inside the castle complex.

He asked Duncan and Greg about Beyond Radio, how long the station has been in operation, how many volunteers we have, if we broadcast through the night and also jokingly asked if we were covering his visit!

"It was a real privilege to be asked to attend a reception with the King on behalf of Beyond Radio and share the event with representatives from many of the area's other brilliant community organisations," said Duncan.

"We all got the opportunity to tell His Majesty of the work we do and he was genuinely interested in how Beyond Radio operates.

"Local volunteer organisations like Beyond Radio and the others attending the reception work very hard to deliver our services in support of our community.

"This as a wonderful way of being recognised for the work our volunteers do in bringing real local radio to the Lancaster & Morecambe Bay area and a memory I will cherish for a long time."

Duncan Moore is pictured below at Lancaster Castle

Greg said: "It was an incredible honour for Beyond Radio to be invited and to meet the King, alongside many other organisations who do such vital work in the Lancaster and Morecambe Bay area.

"It was a privilege to speak to the King about how Beyond Radio is a mainly voluntary organisation, offering people opportunities to work in local radio that they may not otherwise receive. 

"For our community radio station to first receive the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2021, and now be recognised in this way too, is very humbling and testimony to the hard work by our entire team."

Greg and Duncan are pictured below in Atkinson's Coffee Shop at the Castle ahead of the reception.

Beyond Radio was invited to the reception by Amanda Parker, the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire.

During the event, we also saw the King unveil a special plaque commemorating his visit.

Here are more photos from Monday's event.

Ian and Sue Steel with staff from Atkinson's coffee shop

The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment

Lucy Reynolds and Stuart Marshall from Lancaster Music Festival, with Jenny Natusch from Escape2Make

The King meets representatives from Lancaster Litfest

Linda Currin and Barbara Kirby from The Olive Branch with Helen Bingley from Escape2Make

The King during the reception at Atkinson's Coffee Shop

Duncan Moore with Alison Stainthorpe from CancerCare

Hilary Hopwood and Lana Abu Hijeh from East Meets West, with Monica Williams and Janet Theobald from Halton Gardening Group

Councillor Margaret Pattison, mayor of Lancaster, with her daughter Charlotte, and Mark Davies, chief executive of Lancaster City Council

Duncan Moore with Craig Brown and Guy Christiansen from Lancashire Youth Challenge, Victoria Crossman and Colin Malone from Central Lancaster High School, and Helen Kennedy and Gary Stephenson from Lancashire Association of Boys and Girls Clubs

Tony Brock and Sgt Richard Brock, 101-year-old veteran of the D-Day landings

Read more: Huge crowds greet the King as he's handed keys to Lancaster Castle - Beyond Radio

Beyond Radio receives The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service - Beyond Radio