Last month marked 70 years since the accession of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the throne, following the death of her father, King George VI.

As Britain’s longest serving monarch, the Queen’s remarkable 7 decades of public service are a source of pride and inspiration to people not just in the UK, but across the Commonwealth and the wider world.

The official celebrations will take place in early June over a four-day Bank Holiday weekend, with an extra Bank Holiday to mark this unique occasion. There will be an extensive programme of national events, including the Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour), a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral, and a Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace.

Locally, I know that many towns and villages have already begun to plan street parties and celebrations, as I am already receiving kind invitations to join communities to celebrate. I shall try to join as many as I can, so if you are having an event locally over the Jubilee weekend, please do let me know at philip.dunne.mp@parliament.uk. I shall be lighting a beacon on Thursday 2nd June as part of a national chain of light.

Like many, I recall fondly the post-Golden Jubilee visit of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to Shropshire in 2003. Having arrived by train at Telford, the royal couple visited Much Wenlock to take in the Wenlock Olympian Games, the inspiration for the modern Olympic Games as we know them today, before moving to the Discovery Centre in Craven Arms for lunch. They then arrived at Ludlow, where Her Majesty formally opened the new Library and Museum Resource Centre before doing a walkabout among thousands of people in Market Square.

This Jubilee is the first where Her Majesty has not had the steadfast presence of Prince Philip at her side. But she remains just as committed to continuing her service now as when she took her pledge in 1947. It was telling that Her Majesty signed off her official Jubilee message with “Your Servant”.

I am pleased that, in keeping with tradition, a Platinum Jubilee medal will be awarded to people who work in public service including representatives of the Armed Forces, the emergency services and the prison services. This tradition stretches back to the reign of Queen Victoria when an official medal was designed to mark her 50th anniversary on the throne.

I am also encouraging people across South Shropshire to get involved with the Queen’s Green Canopy – where individuals and communities ‘plant a tree for the Jubilee’. This offers a chance to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the Nation, which will also benefit future generations.

I look forward to joining celebrations in towns and villages across South Shropshire in June, and encourage everyone to come together and celebrate the Queen’s remarkable reign.