County Durham man to receive King's money at Durham Cathedral

Graham Young is one of 152 recipients who will attend the Royal Maundy service at Durham Cathedral on Thursday, April 17.

They were selected from the Diocese of Durham and other dioceses across the Province of York, Wales, and Scotland.

The 76 men and 76 women, representing the age of the monarch, will be recognised for their "outstanding Christian service and for making a difference to the lives of people in their local communities."

Mr Young, who has been recognised for his work with local and global charities, said he was "honoured and humbled" to receive the invitation.

He said: "Working in the service of communities locally and worldwide has been a way of life for me.

"Meeting the King has not.

"I'm honoured to have been nominated and humbly accept."

(Image: Graham Young) Another of this year’s recipients, Sister Josepha Matthews from Sunderland, has been recognised for her work with young people and families in the local community and was invited to the service in January earlier this year.

(Image: Sister Josepha Matthews) Recipient Anne Johnson from Hartlepool, has been dedicated to connecting isolated local communities and groups to church initiatives, is attending the service with her daughter Louise.

“I feel delighted and very proud. It is a huge honour to receive this precious gift and participate in this ancient tradition," she said.

(Image: Anne Johnson) The Royal Maundy service, which takes place each year on the Thursday before Easter Day, is a special service in which the King expresses his gratitude for those who serve and volunteer in their communities.

The service is rooted in the tradition of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet in the Upper Room the night before his death and goes back to medieval times.

Each recipient of Maundy money is given two small leather purses by the King, one red and one white.

The first contains a small amount of ordinary coinage which symbolises the Sovereign's gift for food and clothing.

The second purse contains Maundy coins up to the value of the Sovereign's age, which this year is 76p.

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The Very Revd Dr Philip Plyming, dean of Durham, said: "We are both honoured and delighted that the King and Queen are coming to Durham for this year's Royal Maundy Service.

"All of us at Durham Cathedral look forward to welcoming them and being part of this special celebration of volunteering in the local community.

"Maundy Thursday is about remembering the service and sacrifice of Jesus and it will be so special to celebrate in such a memorable way those who live out the example of Jesus today."