Charity founder to represent Aberdeen at Royal Wedding

10 May 2018

Aberdonian Myles Edwards, founder of Gathimba Edwards Foundation, will attend the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, following his successful nomination by the Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeen Barney Crockett.

Myles is one of 1,200 members of the public, from every corner of the United Kingdom, nominated by nine regional Lord Lieutenant Offices, who have received a special invitation to be part of the Royal wedding celebrations, at Windsor Castle on Saturday 19 May.

Every Lord-Lieutenant in the UK was given the opportunity to nominate someone from their area with a request by the soon-to-be-married couple that the people chosen are from a broad range of backgrounds and ages; including young people, who have shown strong leadership, and those who have served their communities.

The Lord-Lieutenant first met Myles at the Junior Chamber International AGM, held in Aberdeen last year, when Myles was invited to give a presentation on the Gathimba Edwards Foundation, the charity he founded to give children in Kenya a chance.

With numerous projects across Kenya the Gathimba Edwards Foundation aims to help disadvantaged children get a start in life, whether it be support through shelter, clothing, education or sustainable food solutions and giving them the opportunity to not only live their lives as children but also to develop as adults. It also provides counselling and seminars on a wide range of topics for families it supports.

The Lord-Lieutenant was immediately impressed by Myles dedication and enthusiasm in his charitable endeavours. And, when the Lord-Lieutenant was invited to nominate a worthy nominee he immediately thought of Myles.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeen Barney Crockett said: “As soon as I was given the opportunity as Lord-Lieutenant to nominate a someone to attend the forthcoming Royal wedding celebrations who has shown strong leadership, and is dedicated to helping others, I instantly thought of Myles Edwards.

“When I met Myles last year I was immediately struck by his engaging manner, leadership skills and his charitable endeavours, which have seen him set up a charity, which is making a genuine difference to children in Kenya.

“Myles gives so much to others that his nomination is a token of our appreciation of the work he and his charity does. He’s a wonderful ambassador for Aberdeen and a great example to us all.”

Myles Edwards, founder of the Gathimba Edwards Foundation added: “It was a huge surprise and honour to receive the invitation from the Lord Provost. My mum had been to a presentation of his some time back and spoke very highly of him so it was great to finally meet him at the JCI event. To be invited to such a prestigious event means a huge amount to me and all of us at GEF are humbled to receive such recognition for our work.”

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen is also the Lord-Lieutenant, which means he is the monarch’s first representative within the city boundary. As Lord-Lieutenant his principal duty is to represent the Crown within the Lieutenancy area and to uphold its dignity. In practical terms this means facilitating Royal visits, promoting the Honours system and liaising with the armed forces.

Gathimba Edwards Foundation is a charity registered in Scotland. To find out more visit www.gathimbaedwardsfoundation.org/

Myles is pictured with his daughter Dahlia.