AS Lord High Almoner, Bishop John of Worcester was on hand to help the Queen distribute her Maundy Money, which is traditionally given to the same number of men and women as the monarch’s age.

“It is always very moving to see such a large number of people receiving this token of appreciation from someone who herself has given such extraordinary Christian service over so many years,” said Bishop John.

The recipients included David Blakeway-Smith from Pensax near Tenbury.

David is a member of St James the Great Church in Pensax.

In retirement has been involved in setting up international summer schools for bright young people from both sides of a divided country in Cyprus.

He has also established a community young peoples’ choir: Wyre Forest Young Voices, which have made two tours to Cyprus, holding workshops and concerts on Green Line with Turkish and Greek Cypriot choirs.

David had raised funds for school for Deaf in Mandalay, Burma, which was started by his wife many years ago and is chairman of Pensax War Memorial project.

The tradition of presenting alms on Maundy Thursday goes back to at least the 4th Century and in this country the first record of the monarch doing it is in 1213. The word ‘Maundy’ comes from the Latin word meaning ‘Commandment’.

It was on the day before he died that Jesus gave his disciples what he described as a new commandment: ‘that you should love one another as I have loved you.’