Alumnus recognised by the Queen for work in the community

Three people smiling. The person in the middle has their arms around the people on their outside.

Geoffrey Walker has received Maundy money from the Queen in recognition of his work in the local community.

He and his wife Pauline have been raising money for charitable causes for many years sharing their journey with their 347,000 followers on social media.

Every year, on Maundy Thursday, The Queen distributes special Maundy money to pensioners – usually during a service. Recipients of Maundy money are nominated by their local dioceses for contributions to their local church and community.

Geoffrey and Pauline have been raising money for charitable causes throughout most of their married life. He last ran the London Marathon 21 years ago at 69 years old. However, more recently they have been raising money via social media for local causes. Last year, they raised £13,000 for the installation of a lift within the Charles Booth Community Centre in Thringstone. 

Each recipient of Maundy money is given two small leather purses by The Queen, one red and one white. The first contains a small amount of ordinary coinage which symbolises the Sovereign's gift for food and clothing. This year the coins have been specially created to commemorate Her Majesty’s 95th Birthday, and the 50th anniversary of Decimal Day. The second purse contains Maundy coins up to the value of the Sovereign's age. The coins are legal tender, but recipients normally prefer to retain them as a keepsake.

You can follow Geoffrey and Pauline’s activities on Instagram. You can find out more about the adventures of our alumni on our news page.