Peter Rolington, a retired accountant, was invited to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace as part of the official Coronation celebrations on Wednesday 3 May 2023 having spent the last two decades volunteering for Crimestoppers and Neighbourhood Watch.

Nomination

After the Royal Voluntary Service called for people across the UK to nominate their volunteer heroes, almost 5,000 entries were received. With nominations made for individuals aged 14 up to 103, Mr Rolington’s commitment to his local community saw colleagues from Kent Police put him forward for consideration.

Mr Rolington has now been recognised by Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort as part of the official Coronation celebrations in conjunction with Royal Voluntary Service. He has since been invited to attend one of the official Coronation celebrations and will also receive a specially designed, official Coronation Champions pin and a certificate signed by Their Majesties.

Voluntary work

For nearly 20 years, Mr Rolington has contributed selflessly to support Kent Police’s work to serve and support the local community. He holds the position of Chair for both the west Kent and county board of Neighbourhood Watch and is acting as Chairperson for Crimestoppers.

He created Kent’s e-Watch newsletter, which keeps people informed of current police appeals and policing news and is digitally delivered to nearly two thirds of the county’s population, twice a week.

Mr Rolington is also the brains behind Country Eye, an app that was built in collaboration with Kent Police to make it easier for members of the public to report rural crimes.

An enthusiast of modern history, Mr Rolington routinely books and leads battlefield tours for police cadets between the ages of 13-18, sharing his wealth of knowledge about World Wars One and Two.

Community

On receiving the news of his nomination, Peter Rolington said:

‘It is an honour to be nominated as a Coronation Champion. I don’t do any of it for recognition but because I feel that giving back to the community is the right thing to do.

‘Not having worked in policing prior to volunteering, I am thrilled to be supporting officers and potentially making a difference to keeping people safe.’

The award

With the support of Her Majesty The Queen Consort, a passionate advocate of volunteering and President of Royal Voluntary Service, the Coronation Champions Awards were launched to recognise exceptional volunteers at this momentous point in history. Across the UK, 500 Champions impressed the judging panel with the impact of their work, their inspirational stories and unwavering commitment to volunteering.

Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service said:

‘We were completely blown away by the response to the Community Champions Awards and the huge volume of amazing nominees put forward. Our judges had a tough job selecting just 500 Champions from an array of thousands of inspirational individuals, who all deserve to be recognised and commended.

‘Each of our Coronation Champions displayed a commitment and contribution that far exceeds any expectation and we’re overjoyed to honour and thank them during this exciting point in history.’