Richard's bowled over by Duke

From the archive, first published Friday 13th Apr 2007.

A SOUTHEND fundraiser joined the Duke of Edinburgh to mark the 80th birthday of the Round Table.

Richard du Bois, 37, of Sedgemoor, Shoebury, met Prince Philip at a meeting in Birmingham.

He presented the Duke of Edinburgh with a crystal bowl, to celebrate 80 years of Round Table.

The Duke has been patron of the organisation since 1958.

Mr du Bois said: "We were deeply honoured to have His Royal Highness with us to celebrate our 80th birthday. Round Table has achieved a great deal since inception.

"We are a modern,forward-thinking group for the modern man, and we aim to continue our activities for the next 80 years."

During its time, Round Table has supported a variety of causes and annually raises around £4million.

In recent times, the organisation, which is geared towards men between the ages of 18 and 45, has raised over £400,000 to help rebuild schools in India and Sri Lanka.