WHILE it may not be tea and cucumber sandwiches at Buckingham Palace, Angela Larkin will experience the next best thing — meeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
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A guest at the welcome reception in the presence of the royal couple, Ms Larkin will travel to Sydney on Wednesday to represent St Vincent de Paul, an organisation she has volunteered with for many years.
The 20-year-old works as a youth representative volunteer, assisting the disadvantaged in Albury and Wagga.
Running programs like Buddies Day and Kids Camp, Ms Larkin said she had always been interested in volunteering and started in 2010, when she formed a volunteer group at her high school.
Citing the opportunity of meeting the future king, and queen consort as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Ms Larkin said she hoped the exposure would help the cause she worked for.
“It is a really good opportunity to promote the work St Vincent de Paul does, particularly in our areas, Albury and Wagga,” Ms Larkin said.
Ms Larkin said she started volunteering to become actively involved in the community.
“I started as a volunteer because it is really rewarding and there are many different leadership and development opportunities,” she said.
“It benefits everyone involved — it benefits other people but it also benefits yourself as your confidence really grows.”
While Ms Larkin said she was honoured to be recognised for her work, her constant drive for volunteering was the benefit it provided the community, not accolades.
“Getting recognised, is not what it is about, you volunteer to make a difference and feel good about yourself,” she said.
Ms Larkin said she was unsure why she was chosen as a representative.
“I think it had a lot to do with me being involved with a lot of different opportunities and being really passionate,” she said.