Inspiration for Wigan charity Joining Jack and young Guide leader to attend King Charles III's coronation

Fifteen-year-old Jack Johnson – the inspiration for charity Joining Jack – is among more than 850 community and charity representatives from across the UK to have been nominated to attend Saturday’s event.

After he was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, his parents Alex Johnson and former Wigan Warriors player Andy Johnson set up Joining Jack to fund research into the muscle-wasting condition.

Jack has been the face of the charity, which has raised more than £2.5m in the past 11 years through events including the Wigan 10k and Run Wigan Festival.

Alex is also a co-founder of Duchenne UK, which works to fund medical research, accelerate access to treatments, improve lives through technology and ensure those with DMD receive the care they need.

She said: “The Queen Consort Camilla is the patron of Duchenne UK and they are having a special bandstand filled with representatives from charities that the Queen and King support, so Jack has been invited as a representative for Duchenne UK.

"He is really excited. When I told him about this, he was absolutely made up.”

Jack and Alex will travel to London on Friday evening and will spend all day on Saturday in the bandstand outside Buckingham Palace.

They will have an unrestricted view as the King and Queen set off for the coronation at Westminster Abbey and return, as well as their appearance on the Palace’s balcony.

Alex said: “It will be a lovely experience for him and it’s really nice recognition for the charity work that he does.”

Also looking forward to the coronation is 17-year-old Winstanley College student Anya Peet Draycott.

She is a young leader from the 2nd Wigan Town Guides and has been chosen as one of 400 young people who will watch the coronation service and procession from the adjacent St Margaret’s Church.

Half of them are involved with the Prince’s Trust, the Prince’s Foundation, Barnardo’s, the National Literacy Trust or the Ebony Horse Club, after the organisations were chosen by the King and Queen.

The other 200 are from the Scout Association, Girlguiding UK, St John Ambulance and the National Citizen Service and were nominated by the Government.

They will enjoy breakfast at Lambeth Palace before going to St Margaret’s Church for a “special private viewing” of the coronation. They will be able to see the coronation procession leaving Westminster Abbey at the end of the service.

Anya, from Up Holland, first joined Girlguiding as a Rainbow and has worked her way through the organisation.

As well as being a young leader in Wigan, she is a member of Amplify, a group within the movement which gives teenagers a voice, and has been involved in interviewing for a new chief Guide, designing a new uniform and other tasks.

Her mum Julia Peet Draycott said: “She is excited, but I think she is quite nervous as well. She has no idea what she is being part of. All she knows is it’s a big youth event that’s being put on.

"She is excited and I do think she feels it’s a privilege to be one of only 400 people to go there.”