Earlier this month, a handful of deserving people from Warwickshire were presented with the medals they were awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
At two special ceremonies, held at the Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick, a variety of national honours including British Empire Medals (BEM), were presented by Mr Tim Cox, Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire. The eleven accolades were awarded for a wide variety of activities, but with the common thread that all the recipients went ‘above and beyond’ to change the world around them for the better. The recipients were also joined by their personal guests as well as Sue Saunders, Vice Lord Lieutenant for Warwickshire.
The first ceremony was for three worthy recipients.
- Graeme Betts was awarded the CBE, Commander of the British Empire for his outstanding work in adult social care tackling some of the most difficult challenges in that field.
- Keith Vinning from Stratford-upon-Avon was awarded the OBE, Order of the British Empire for his dedication to innovation and safety within aviation.
- Carol Zambonini from Alcester was awarded the BEM, British Empire Medal for services to those with dementia and their carers. Carol also set-up Alcester’s Dementia Café.
The second ceremony was for seven British Empire Medal Awards and one MBE:
- Hasnain Khan from Nuneaton was awarded the BEM, British Empire Medal for his services to healthcare in South Yorkshire during COVID-19. Hasnain is a medical student who set up and coordinated a group of 1,000 fellow medical students to help doctors and nurses and healthcare workers during the pandemic.
- Nigel Hailey from Leamington Spa is currently County Commissioner for Scouting in Warwickshire and his BEM, British Empire Medal was for services to young people in Warwickshire.
- Neil Jones from Atherstone is a former teacher and has been a member of Atherstone Rotary Club for many years. His BEM, British Empire Medal is for services to the community in Atherstone.
- Rachel Booth, from Hatton, and Abigail Sheridan-de-Graaff from near Shipston-on-Stour, were instrumental in setting up the Warwickshire Scrubbers Support Group to organise the making of scrubs for the NHS. Their BEM, British Empire Medal was for services to the community in Warwickshire during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Steven Ray from Rugby has shown exceptional community service in Lutterworth during the COVID-19 pandemic. He played his saxophone throughout the town raising money for charities and raising everyone’s spirits. His BEM, British Empire Medal was for services to the community of Lutterworth.
- Robert Sherman from Harbury co-founded the Harbury E-Wheels Initiative and helped to transport those people who needed help during COVID-19. His BEM, British Empire Medal was for services to the community in Harbury.
The MBE recipient was:
- Carol Musgrave from Nuneaton. She has dedicated over 20 years delivering much needed support working for the North Warwickshire Citizens Advice. Her MBE award was for services to the voluntary sector and the community in Warwickshire.
Tim Cox, Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, said:
“It’s always a pleasure and an honour to present these awards. We have such extraordinary people in Warwickshire quietly making a big difference to the lives of others. It was a real privilege to meet this year’s British Empire Medal Awards recipients and present these honours.”
Cllr Heather Timms, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate & Culture, said:
“It is incredible to see what Warwickshire residents have achieved both for their local communities and further afield in the UK. The Honours recognise the very best qualities in people, and we are delighted to see our county’s residents highlighted in this way for exceeding all expectations, particularly during the pandemic, to support their local communities”.
Honours are a way of celebrating extraordinary people who go above and beyond to change the world around them for the better. Anyone can receive a Queen's Birthday Honour, and anyone can nominate someone, just as long as they demonstrate the exceptional contribution the candidate has made.
The system is there to recognise people who have:
- Selflessly volunteered their time and efforts.
- Gained the respect of their peers.
- Displayed moral and physical courage.
- Showed real innovation and entrepreneurship.
To find out more about how to nominate someone for an award visit https://www.gov.uk/honours