Palace honour for Wigan life-saver Tina

Tina Roe, an emergency medical technician for the North West Ambulance Service, was chosen to attend the special royal event by the chief executive Derek Cartwright, after receiving many commendations for saving lives.

The palace event was Prince Charles’s 70th birthday patronage celebration and a highlight was the first public appearance of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since their wedding.

Tina, who lives in Golborne, said: “It was amazing. I had a fab day. The weather was beautiful.

“Meghan was there with Harry and Harry did a speech.

“We had afternoon tea in the gardens. I really enjoyed it.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall met some of the 6,000 people who were invited from 386 of his patronages and 20 of his military associations.

Guests from the police, fire, ambulance, mountain rescue and Royal National Lifeboat Institution also attended.

Tina said: “It was nice to see all the different people who work just as hard as I do.

“I felt so proud to represent the ambulance service.”

The former Golborne High School pupil was invited to the celebration because of the commendations she had earned for saving lives.

Many of these were while she was working for the ambulance service, based in Warrington.

But Tina has also made a difference while off-duty, including resuscitating someone who had a cardiac arrest in Sainsbury’s in Wigan while Tina was out shopping.

She said: “I’m really proud. I was a bit shocked when the letter first came though saying I had been invited.

“I feel like I’m doing my job. I didn’t expect that.

“As long as someone says ‘thank you’ I’m happy with that.

“I tend to see a lot of jobs outside work and get involved.

“I can’t walk by and see someone struggling, I have to help.”

Despite her efforts, Tina believes other staff in the emergency services work just as hard as she and her fellow ambulance crew members do.

She said: “I think everybody does an amazing job within the emergency services, whether it’s ambulance, fire or police.

“I feel everybody works as hard as one another.”