British Empire Medals for Staffordshire residents

Five Staffordshire residents have been awarded prestigious personal Honours for their invaluable contributions to their local communities.

The recipients attended a special ceremony hosted by the Chairman of Staffordshire County Council at County Buildings in Stafford on 21 March. Medals were presented to the winners by the Lord-Lieutenant, Mr Ian Dudson CBE KStJ on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen; watched by their family and friends.

The winners were announced in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours lists and include:

·         Mr Neil Anthony Dawson MBE for services to the community in Stoke-on-Trent

·         Mr Lee Bates BEM for services to the community in Tamworth during Covid-19

·         Mr Paul Brindley BEM for services to the community in Tamworth, including Covid-19 Response Projects

·         Mrs Janet Hewes BEM for services to the community in Gnosall and District, Staffordshire

·         Mrs Hannah Finlay BEM for services to the Food Supply Chain

Chairman of Staffordshire County Council, Mr Paul Snape said: “It was a great privilege for me to host these presentations and honour these fantastic people, who have done so much for our communities. They have all made invaluable contributions in their services and it was a great pleasure to see them receive such prestigious recognition from Her Majesty for their hard work given over many years”

Ian Dudson Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire added: “The British Empire Medal is a much admired part of our Honours system, often uniquely recognising voluntary contributions at a very local community level.  These contributions have been more evident and vital during the last 2 years of the pandemic.

“I am delighted that we now have another investiture for five more Staffordshire residents who have been awarded Personal Honours recently.  Their wonderful contributions have been recognised accordingly and I am privileged to have presented their medals on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen”

Hannah Findlay BEM said: “I am truly humbled to receive my BEM.  The work that I have done and continue to do is not for any benefit to myself.  My purpose is to help people and the Pandemic gave me an opportunity to help people in different ways, when they needed the support more than ever.”

Neil Dawson MBE said: “I’m very grateful for this special nomination and wish to acknowledge and thank the many wonderful volunteers that I’ve had the pleasure to work alongside.”

More information on the awards is available at www.gov.uk/honours/overview