The founder of a Marlow charity has told of her “great honour” at being awarded an OBE at Buckingham Palace.

Amanda Foister, the founder of Longridge-on-the-Thames charity, which bought Longridge Activity Centre in Quarry Wood Road, was awarded the title this year for services to young people.

She picked up her prestigious award at the Palace on Wednesday (April 19) and got to rub shoulders with celebrities on the day – including Victoria Beckham, who she described as a “wise and clever woman”.

She said: “My day yesterday was fantastic, shared with my family and we all enjoyed rubbing shoulders with some fabulous people, including Victoria Beckham who I followed in to my investiture and sat next to for the ceremony during which we mainly discussed the joys of motherhood.

“I also sat with the Turner Prize artist, Christopher Ofili, who I think I asked some very ignorant art questions of but he was charming and very patient with my lack of understanding of art.

“It was a great honour, a great day and I hope will raise the profile of Longridge so that we can continue to make the centre the very best that it can be.”

Ms Foister also set up the Adventure Learning Foundation (ALF) as a partnership between Longridge Activity Centre and Buckinghamshire County Council.

The founder and her team have worked hard in the last 10 years to “transform” the centre from a scout hut to a centre for “everybody to enjoy” according to Ms Foister – but they still have “a little way to go”.

The centre provides a range of activities for young people aged eight and over, including limbing, ropes courses, laser maze, dragon boating and rafting, as well as rowing, canoeing and kayaking.

This year, the charity starts a fundraising campaign to replace their “outdated” accommodation with something warm and flood proof to better suit the hundreds of young people who visit the activity centre every year.

Ms Foister added: “This will encourage even more young people to come for a residential trip and we have seen great success with young people who live in the inner cities coming to learn about the outdoors and appreciate our beautiful natural environment, whilst also learning more about team building and leadership through our outdoor activities – having tonnes of fun too.”