A Harrow man is to be royally thanked by the Prince of Wales for his outstanding dedication and commitment to helping young people.

Prince Charles, president and founder of The Prince's Trust, and the Duchess of Cornwall have invited Christopher Cook to Buckingham Palace on Friday (July 14).

Christopher is one of 1,500 employees of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group who have given their time to support disadvantaged young people.

The palace garden party has been organised to mark the trust's 30th anniversary.

It will pay tribute to the exceptional commitment of more than 6,000 volunteers from across the UK who have supported the charity since 1976.

The trust's chief executive, Martina Milburn, said: "Over the last 30 years, more than half a million young lives have been changed through Prince's Trust programmes.

"The trust would not have been able to do this without the valuable support of its volunteers and this garden party is our way of thanking them for all their help."

Christopher will rub shoulders with several celebrity ambassadors, including Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster, Joseph Fiennes, Dame Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons and former Spice girls Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell.

He said: "I'm very honoured.

"The work of the Prince's Trust is truly amazing in changing young people's lives. It is so rewarding and fulfilling to be able to support young people and I'm glad I have had the opportunity to make a difference."