Mayor meets the Princess Royal

There Councillor Thomas Beckett and Mrs Linda Beckett were delighted to have the opportunity to meet Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence at a pre-dinner VIP reception.

Princess Anne had flown in specially to attend the dinner organised by her long-time friend and fellow Olympian Dame Mary Peters CH DBE.

Mr Beckett said: “The Mary Peters Trust is my Mayoral Charity and it was great to have been at the event marking the 40th Anniversary at the end of November.

“It was an amazing night attended by over 400 guests including many local athletes who have received funding from the Trust.

“It was an honour to hear HRH Princess Anne and publicly support the dedicated work of the Mary Peters Trust of which she is a Patron. She had the privilege of launching the ‘Mary’s Race to a Million’ campaign, which the donations received during my Mayoral Year may contribute to.

“This campaign is a legacy to Dame Mary that aims to raise a million pounds to enable the Trust to continue supporting home grown sporting talent over the next 40 years and beyond.

“The support for both Dame Mary and her charity is phenomenal across the sporting and media fields and I am delighted to be associated with such a worthy cause that helps young sports people from across Northern Ireland excel in their chosen sporting disciplines,”