Fife Red Cross volunteer in guard of honour for coronation of King Charles III

Irene Guild, from Leven, will form part of the guard of honour during Saturday’s ceremony, as part of the Civilian Services Contingent (CSC).

The 59-year-old, who celebrates her birthday on Tuesday, has been volunteering with the British Red Cross for over ten years. Following the sad and unexpected death of her son, Irene was keen to find a way to support people and families. Since joining the Red Cross she has provided first aid services at major events and during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns she worked tirelessly to deliver food and medicine to people who were unable to leave their homes.

Irene said: “I like to give. I’m like a wee Robin Hood. I’m a giver. I made a promise that I’m going to make one person smile every day for the rest of my life and if I get through the day and I haven’t seen somebody smile I make the point of making somebody smile.”

Irene was selected to be involved in the king’s coronation alongside 21 other volunteers from the charity. She said: “It’s a huge honour and makes me feel really rewarded. I’m just so ecstatic to be asked and given the opportunity. For me, it’s like winning the lottery.”

Irene has previously taken part in the Remembrance Day service in London as part of the CSC as well as other events attended by the late Her Majesty the Queen. Last year, Irene was also part of the British Red Cross team supporting members of the public at the lying-in-state at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh following the death of the Queen. Irene assisted people with disabilities and mobility issues to pay their respects. She also stepped in to help a mourner who was taken unwell while queuing inside the cathedral.

"I just gently walked up behind a lady looking very unwell, put my arm around and put my other hand on her elbow and I went ‘I’ve got you, you’re ok;,” said Irene. “I found a chair, out of line from the cameras so nobody could see her and we got some water, took her thick coat off, which she had been wearing in the heat.

"And I basically got everything off and took her outside. And when I sat her down she said ‘how did you know?’. I said I could just tell. I’d watched the blood drain away from her face and could see she was pasty and sweating. I knew if I hadn’t caught her, she was going to hit the concrete floor.”

Two other Scottish Red Cross volunteers – one from the Highlands and another from the Shetland Isles – will also take part in Saturday’s ceremony.

Rob Murray, director for Red Cross Scotland, added: “We’re incredibly proud of these three exceptional volunteers and delighted their work is being recognised. Our volunteers play a crucial role helping us to support people in crisis across Scotland, whether that’s welcoming refugees fleeing conflict, supporting families who have lost their homes to floods or fires, or training people in life-saving first aid techniques. It never ceases to amaze me how dedicated our Scottish volunteers are, helping people whenever and wherever they are needed.”