Charity founder's MBE medal replaced after Ilkley theft
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Ilkley resident and founder of a Skipton based children's charity, Mike Davies MBE, has received a replacement medal after the original was stolen during a break-in at his Ilkley home.
Mike founded The Principle Trust Children's Charity, which offer respite breaks and support for disadvantaged children, in 2011 and was appointed MBE by the Queen in 2017.
Early February, burglars broke into his home on Curly Hill in Ilkley and took his MBE, along with passports, jewellery and cash from a 100kg safe which had been taken from an upstairs cupboard and dragged downstairs.
The family golden retriever 'Poppy' was home at the time of the break-in, but thankfully was unharmed, but soaked having been put outside.
Mr Davies said:
"The mess caused by the break in was horrible. Glass everywhere, dirty muddy footprints over carpets, bedroom drawers open and rifled through, it was all harrowing.
"These things you read about happening to other people not to you, but this was the reality.
"Feelings of relief that our dog was unharmed, anger at what had happened, with just photographs of Prince William presenting me with the MBE Medal in December 2017 but the medal was stolen."
The next day Mike contacted The Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, the administers UK State Honours, and was delighted that it could be replaced.
Less that two weeks later Mike's replacement MBE arrived with a note from the Chancery Secretary saying:
“Although not the original, I do hope this replacement acts as a suitable reminder of your many achievements”.
Police told Mike that he was unlikely to see the original medal again, but he said the replacement meant he was 'unique, receiving an MBE from both a king and a queen!"