Lord Lieutenant Annie Maw had an emotional surprise reunion with the paramedic who saved her life when she presented the Queen's highest award for voluntary work to Festival Medical Services (FMS) at Glastonbury.  

In her speech to FMS volunteers, Her Majesty's representative in Somerset talked of how grateful she had been for the best medical care following her horse-riding accident 20 years ago in February 2002, since when she has been a wheelchair-user. 

Little did she know that the first paramedic to reach her on that day – Mike Gray - was also an FMS volunteer – until he stepped forward to introduce himself. 

The pair had not met since the day of the accident and both found the reunion an emotional experience with Mrs Maw saying the event was "the best thing I've done" as Lord Lieutenant – "as good as having lunch with the Queen!"    

Festival founder Michael Eavis was there to see Mrs Maw hand over the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service to his team of medical volunteers who first started working at Glastonbury more than 40 years ago, in 1979.  

In 2002 Mike, from Glastonbury, was a paramedic working for South West Ambulance Service, but he has also been an FMS volunteer since 1990. 

Ex-nurse Mrs Maw referred to her accident in the speech she made before presenting the award to FMS founder and managing director, Dr Chris Howes. 

She said: "I had an accident 20 years ago when I was doing crazy things and had to be rescued by someone with medical knowledge, so I do understand from the other end of the spectrum how important you are. 

"I admire you immensely and I feel so privileged as a local resident to be presenting you with this award – this is the zenith of my time as Lord Lieutenant – this is the holy of holies."  

In his reply, Dr Howes said: "When we started in 1979, there was no way we could ever imagine anything like this ever happening.  

"Providing care at big events certainly presents challenges, but we never use working in a muddy field without full kit as an excuse for not giving the best possible care we ever can and the reason we can do that is because our people are the best bunch of volunteers anywhere. 

"This is your award – it's entirely down to each and every one of you." 

The charity was actually granted the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in June 2020 – but everyone involved wanted to wait for the return of Glastonbury Festival so as many members as possible could be present to see it handed over.  

The charity's doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals, together with support staff, volunteer at music festivals and other high-profile outdoor events. They offer a full on-site emergency medical service for fans, plus other healthcare services such as dentistry, podiatry, physiotherapy and mental healthcare. 

FMS particularly prides itself on how few of its patients ever need to go off-site for treatment. They expect to see about 5,000 people over the next three days – the vast majority of whom will be experiencing only minor illnesses or injuries – and only about fifty will need to go to hospital. 

The group also raises money for other medical charities – both in the UK and abroad – and pre-pandemic was donating up to £100,000 to other good causes every year, and they have donated more than £1 million altogether.  

Most recently they have been partnering with World Extreme Medicine to fund, fill and send boxes of trauma medicine kit to the parts of Ukraine facing the heaviest fighting in the ongoing war. They have sent 60 so far and have another 60 in preparation.  

The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service recognises outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was originally created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen's then Golden Jubilee.