A DEDICATED Kidderminster community champion has spoken of his delight at receiving a royal seal of approval for his work.

Former solicitor and councillor Charles Talbot was presented with his MBE honour by the Princess Royal at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday (April 25).

Mr Talbot was named in the Queen’s New Year Honours for services to the community.

The 85-year-old was left feeling proud when the princess acknowledged the work he had done for the community for the past few decades, such as the work carried out by Kidderminster and District Youth Trust (KDYT), which he set up in 1966.

And his first engagement wearing the medal was to unveil a new life-saving defibrillator at KDYT’s base in Youth House on Friday (April 28).

He said: “The ceremony for receiving my medal from the Princess Royal was short but she knew all about me and she knew all about Kidderminster District and Youth Trust.

“She totally threw me as I did not know she would talk about it. She congratulated me for staying with the project for so long.”

After receiving his gong, Mr Talbot enjoyed lunch with his family. He added: “It was nice to have the whole family together for this.

“All in all, it was a lovely day although I was worn out by the end of it. You do not realise what anticipation takes out of you.

“But I was on cloud nine when the princess talked about KDYT and all the important work that people here do.”

As well as setting up KDYT in 1966, he was instrumental in establishing the Museum of Carpet in 2012 following a 31-year campaign.

The father-of-three and grandfather-of-five was also instrumental in the Kidderminster twinning with the German town of Husum. For his work, Mr Talbot was awarded Husum’s golden ring of honour – and is one of only two people to ever to receive it.

He ran the family law firm Talbot and Talbot and still works as a consultant solicitor for Painters in Kidderminster.

His civic career saw him serve as a Kidderminster Borough councillor for 15 years from 1959 and became the town’s youngest ever mayor aged 33.

When the authority was disbanded and Wyre Forest District Council set up, Mr Talbot campaigned strongly for the reformation of Kidderminster’s own town council for decades, a dream which was realised in 2015.

He later served as a councillor on Wyre Forest District Council for three years between 1976 and 1979.