Mark Ashton, local social-entrepreneur and Company Director of the much-loved local Artz Centre, was invited to take High Tea at Buckingham Palace with Her Majesty the Queen last week; in recognition of his 15 year-long commitment to delivering high-quality creative provision, in his hometown of Skelmersdale.
Needless to say, invitations to one of Her Majesty’s Annual Garden Parties are few and far between; and each summer, a long established network of sponsors are called upon to nominate people worthy of an invitation. Each year, there are just three Royal Garden Parties, and these events are seen as a traditional way of recognising and rewarding outstanding contributions to public service; and the invitees include a broad range of people, from all walks of life, from across the U.K – all of whom have made a positive impact in their community.
Pictured left, with wife Caroline; on receiving the invitation to the Royal Garden Party, Mark commented “it’s certainly not every day you receive an invitation to High Tea at Buckingham Palace through the letter box, and I am deeply humbled to have been invited”.
Over the past 15 years, Mark has worked tirelessly to empower his community creatively; by regularly engaging local people, of all ages, in positive arts-focused projects that inspire greater levels of resilience, confidence and community-wide aspiration. And since opening the Artz Centre in 2014, Mark has also played an integral role in the wider creative-networking in the town; collaborating the work of the Artz Centre with a web of fellow Third Sector services. Such as: The Lancashire Young People and Children’s Services, Young AddAction, the West Lancashire CCG, the Well North and Well Skelmersdale initiatives, the Lancashire Safety Partnership, the Birchwood Centre and the Sewing Rooms.
And in fact, last week’s Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace saw invitations for two of Skelmersdale’s entrepreneurial elite; as the work of Maureen Fazal, of the Sewing Rooms (mentioned above) was also recognised with an invitation to the Royal Event.
On the day of the event, the sun shone upon the lawns of the Palace, and Mark commented: “What an incredible experience, of which I feel so very privileged to have been invited to. Her Majesty the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were all in attendance; and as a creative-minded individual, I loved the immaculate attention to detail throughout all elements of the Garden Party. This, partnered with the glorious weather, made for a truly memorable day that I will cherish for a long time to come”.