Portsmouth man David Sanders has been awarded The Order Of Mercy by the League of Mercy
David Sanders has been awarded The Order Of Mercy by the League of Mercy for distinguished voluntary work over many years. His voluntary service included volunteering with Lions International, Rotary International, Cadet Forces, Army Reserve, Youth Organisations, Armed Service Veterans and Associations, Academic Staff Association, Engineering Institutions and various charities. Within them, David has concentrated on Youth Work and support to military veterans. David is a lectuerer in the School of Engineering at Portsmouth University and lives in Fareham with his wife Karen and two of his four children. The League of Mercy was founded in 1899 by a Royal Charter of Queen Victoria. About thirty people each year receive a medal from the league known as the Order of Mercy. These are bestowed as a reward for personal services gratuitously rendered in connection with the purposes of the League. The league say “Communities are having to rely more and more on voluntary help especially as the population grows older. Voluntary work for the sick, the elderly, the disabled etc. has long been an integral and valuable part of British life. It is developing and enriching for those who engage in it as well as being immensely beneficial to those served by it. However, some voluntary organisations have reported a dearth of volunteers in the last two decades. There are many reasons for this: more women are at work, careers have more onerous obligations and are rarely spent with one firm, there is a vast number of leisure pursuits and family traditions of charitable duties have died away. Hence many voluntary organisations have been forced to appoint more paid staff to undertake tasks hitherto carried out by volunteers. This award is to reward outstanding volunteers who have made a significant impact on their communities.” The citation said “David was awarded a Melvin Jones Fellowship in 2005 by the LCI Foundation in recognition of his commitment to humanitarian work and he had previously been awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by Rotary for his high professional and personal standards and community service. He never says no to anyone needing help and is always happy to get his hands dirty and to help with setting up and welcoming visitors as well as with the sharp end of fundraising.” A presentation ceremony will be held at The Mansion House in the City of London to confer the order. The Order of Mercy is a beautiful hallmarked silver gilt representation of the original 1899 design depicting Joshua Reynolds’s figure of ‘Charity.
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