THERE are now less than three weeks to go before our nation takes part in a momentous moment of history which most of us have never seen before – the Coronation of our new King.

Following in his late mother’s footsteps, King Charles III will become the 13th British monarch to be crowned since the political union of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland on May 1, 1707.

To help us mark this special moment here in Dudley South, I asked local children to submit patriotic posters and poetry pieces through their schools for me to then collate into a special souvenir booklet.

Almost a thousand entries have been submitted, meaning I am now steadily ploughing through the difficult task of drawing up a shortlist for the final booklet.

As with all leaders and public figures, our monarchs each have their own style and priorities while carrying out the role.

King Charles has made clear his wish to use the role of King in much the same way he did the role of Prince of Wales – that is, to encourage people all over the Commonwealth to help strengthen their local communities by volunteering and joining projects in their local area as part of the ‘Big Help Out’.

As well as the Coronation itself on May 6 at Westminster Abbey, there will be other organised events to bring our nation together, either behind our TVs or in person.

On May 7 there will be a concert at Windsor Castle, and more locally there are events such as the Wall Heath and Kingswinford Coronation Celebrations which will include a parade, live music, traditional games, food, May Pole dancing and lots more.

I know local schools will also be doing their own work and events linked to the coronation, so, with schools now back after Easter, I’m really looking forward to visiting pupils and teachers – starting with Crestwood Park Primary School this week.

Over the Easter break, it was great to get out there and catch up with some of our great community stalwarts, including Helen Nicholls, the Community Champion at Morrisons Kingswinford who had partnered with Acorns Children's Hospice to run a tombola in support of Together for Short Lives at the front of the store.

Together for Short Lives is an incredibly special charity who support families as they care for their seriously ill children – allowing them to make the most of every moment they have with them and providing the best care at the end of life.

To find out more about Together for Short Lives and how you can support their brilliant work visit togetherforshortlives.org.uk