Princess gives BVI Stamp of Approval
Press Release - Thursday, June 30th, 2011 at 9:46 AM
Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal (Princess Anne)
Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal said she was “absolutely delighted” to be presented with a set of British Virgin Islands stamps celebrating BVI Sailability by Honorary Belonger Geoff Holt MBE at a ceremony in Southampton, England on Monday, June 20 2011.
The framed set of six stamps was originally presented by Postmaster General Kevin Smith to Governor Boyd McCleary at a celebration event at BVI Sailability in Sea Cows Bay in February this year.
Three of the stamps feature disabled yachtsman Holt arriving in the BVI after his record-breaking voyage across the Atlantic in 2010. Mr Smith asked Governor McCleary to accept the stamps on behalf of the Princess Royal who is Patron of the disabled sailing charity, RYA Sailability, and to arrange their future presentation to the Princess.
In turn, Governor McCleary delivered the stamps to Mr Holt in the UK who presented them to the Princess whilst she was visiting the Southampton Water Activity Centre on an official engagement.
Before receiving the stamps, the Princess launched a new boat for disabled people and named the vessel, Active Rupert.
“It was a real honour to present the stamps to the Princess on behalf of Governor McCleary” said Holt. “She was genuinely pleased to see Sailability recognised in a set of stamps and she asked me to explain the various scenes depicted on them to her”.
In a subsequent letter from Buckingham Palace, the Princess asks for her thanks to be passed onto Governor Boyd McCleary for the “wonderful stamps”.
Speaking in February about the stamps issue, Postmaster of the BVI Post Kevin Smith, stated “Every stamp issue that we produce bears some significance to the Territory and to the Crown, this particular issue is no different. The work of ‘Sailability BVI’ is exemplary and noteworthy, providing opportunity and development to our youth and particularly those with special needs as an integrated part of the programme.”
At the same ceremony Governor McCleary, stated that “Holt is the champion of Sailability and integrating people into the community”. Quadriplegic yachtsman Geoff Holt, his wife Elaine and their nine year old son Tim were given Honorary Belonger status in January 2010 by Premier O’Neale in recognition of Holt’s achievement of sailing unassisted across the Atlantic Ocean.
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Yeh yeh they 2 get plenty of money off the backs = they ain’t no charity.
And the team doing so well in Athens! The only thing this article fails to credit is Colin and Alison without whom Sailability would not exist.
Sailability BVI
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