A TRIP to the capital was particularly pleasant for a Bishampton fundraiser and her family recently as it involved a detour via Buckingham Palace to collect her MBE.

Marion Gough, said she was thrilled and honoured to receive her medal from Prince William which was in recognition of her work as trustee of Orphans in the Wild, a charity that helps the victims of AIDS, particularly children, in Tanzania.

Mrs Gough has been linked to the charity since 2006, but her connection to Africa goes back many years.

Born in London she went to Tanganyika , East AFrica, at just 18 months, with her parents. She returned to London aged 16. In 2006 she and her husband Rod, took one of their daughters to see her roots. It was there she was made aware of the plight of the Mdabulo Mission Hospital, in Mufindi, Tanzania. Back in England she became trustee of a new charity set up to help the hospital. Since 2006 she has filled and send five 40-foot containers to Mufindi filled with assorted hospital equipment including more than 100 beds, blankets, school items and clothing.

In eight years the charity has seen the completion of its 6th orphan house for 12 children plus other major improvements to the quality of life in the region including: a vocational centre, sewing school, hospital extension, refurbished maternity wards, an HIV/AIDS care treatment centre, a milk formula project, home based care team with 30 volunteers, clinics, carpentry schools and outreach programmes plus much more.

Mrs Gough, who has three children, Dawn, Beverley and David, said she was excited to meet Prince William and he was very interested in what she did.

"We talked for just over a minute," said Mrs Gough.