A Renfrewshire duo joined dignitaries from all over the world in paying their respects to her Majesty the Queen at Westminster Abbey yesterday.
Ross Nelson and Stuart McLellan were invited to the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II after being named in the Queen’s Honours List during this year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The pair were both awarded MBE titles for their work with the Neilston and Uplawmoor First Responders group.
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Both full-time paramedics, they established the group to tackle poor ambulance response times in the rural area.
Stuart, 28, said it was an “incredible honour” to invited to the service.
He told the Express: “We got a call from the Cabinet Office inviting us to the service in recognition of us having been listed in the Queen’s Honours at the time of the platinum jubilee.
“I was quite taken aback to be in Westminster Abbey.
“Words can’t describe what it was like to be there. It was incredible to see the Queen’s coffin being carried in and to be seated with world leaders in paying our respects.
“It was such as sad occasion but it was nice to be part of such a historic moment celebrating her life and everything she has done for this country and people all over the world.”
Ross, from Johnstone added: “When we got the call, it was pretty hard to believe but when we found out we were definitely going it was a great honour.
“It was quite surreal to be there will all those familiar faces you normally only see on TV but it was a great honour and we felt very humbled to be part of it all.”
For Stuart and Ross, 43, it was particularly poignant to be invited to attend the funeral, with the Neilston and Uplawmoor First Responders having been amongst the first emergency responder group in Scotland to be awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Their team, which has become has become an important feature of the local community, has over nine years seen over 50 volunteers attend more than 2,000 emergency calls.
The group now has two response vehicles and installed ten public access defibrillators, with another to be added at Johnstone Bowling Club in the coming weeks.
Seventeen of the team have progressed into jobs with the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Stuart, from Neilston, added: “We have both been surprised how quickly the organisation has grown.
“The volunteers, the businesses that have come on board and the local community’s support has been amazing.
“That’s why the group as a collective was recognised with the Queen’s award in 2018 and then Ross and I were personally recognised with the Jubilee’s Honours in June.
“You don’t do voluntary work to be recognised but to be by the Queen is an incredible added extra.”
The pair have received their MBEs for voluntary services to the community in Renfrewshire and will officially be awarded their medals at a service in Holyoodhouse in January.
Members of the Royal family walked behind Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin at 10am yesterday morning as it was taken from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey - where she had been married and crowned over 70 years ago.
During his sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury said the late Queen touched “a multitude of lives” during her 70-year reign.
After the funeral the Queen was driven in the state hearse to Windsor for a committal service at St George’s Chapel.
Later in the evening, the Queen was buried alongside her late husband Prince Phillip in a private family service.
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