A nurse and charity campaigner from West Mersea has been presented with an MBE by the Prince of Wales.
Linda Bullen was chosen for the award in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list earlier this year for her tireless work running the Catherine Bullen Foundation.
The foundation was officially launched in 2005 in memory of Mrs Bullen’s daughter Catherine, a fifth-year medical student who died suddenly from severe gastro-enteritis at Oshivelo in Namibia on August 23 2002, aged just 22.
Now in its tenth year the foundation, based in West Mersea, has raised more than £340,000, all of which has been spent on projects in the Omaheke region of Namibia.
Mrs Bullen regularly visits Namibia with her husband Roger to check on the foundation’s projects. While in the country Mrs Bullen also puts her nursing skills to use and helps out in rural health clinics.
She received the honour from Prince Charles during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Friday, watched by her family.
Her citation read: “Co-founder, the Catherine Bullen Foundation. For services to relieve poverty, sickness, distress and the preservation of health in rural Namibia.”
Mrs Bullen said: “It was an extraordinary day, and one I will never forget.
“During my conversation with Prince Charles, it was obvious he had been briefed about the Foundation and Catherine’s tragic death.”
After leaving the palace Mrs Bullen visited the Namibian High Commission to show the staff and High Commissioner Steve Katjiuanjo her award.
To learn more about the foundation visit www.namibia-aid.org.uk.
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