Midlands roll-call of pride as Queen's Birthday Honours are revealed

While Lenny Henry stole the headlines when he let the cat out of the bag about his impending knighthood earlier this week, he is not the only person from the region to be honoured.

Black Country wheelchair tennis champion Jordanne Whiley has been made an MBE for services to sport.

The doubles star from Halesowen has been recognised for her incredible form over the past couple of years.

Jordanne, aged 23, was born with brittle bone disease, the same condition as her father Keith and has broken her legs 26 times.

She won bronze in the London 2012 Paralympics and her incredible form over the past couple of years has seen her win five consecutive Grand Slam doubles titles alongside partner Yui Kamiji.

Joining her on the birthday honours list is 72-year-old Michael Mellor, who gets a British Empire Medal for services to the Chase Arts in Public Spaces organisation and wider community in Cannock.

Mr Mellor, of Hatherton Road, Cannock, has been working on a project to recognise the work of coalminers in the area for the past 15 years. His work to pay tribute to those who gave their lives in service to the mining industry includes designing the Davy Lamp memorial in Hednesford.

He said: "I am very honoured and proud to receive the award for my work with Chase Arts in Public Spaces on the local coal mining heritage."

An MBE has also been awarded to Anthony Allen, who grew up in Walsall, and has been working to attract funds for the Wolverhampton Central Youth Theatre, but for 30 years been a driving force for many organisations.

Andrew Griffiths, head teacher at Dudley's Ellowes Hall Sports College, has received a prestigious OBE, as has Dr Nick Harding, a senior care chief at the Sandwell and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group.

Mr Griffiths has guided Ellowes Hall to becoming Dudley's best state school in his 13 years at the helm. The 59-year-old said: "I am delighted. This is because of the effort and work of people of the school more widely and a bit of it is each of theirs."

Dr Harding, who is among the top care leaders in the Black Country in his role as chairman of the Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG, has been awarded an OBE for services to healthcare. In 2008, he was a founding partner in a new super partnership for GPs which brought together 15 health centres and represents around 70,000 patients in the Black Country.

Another teacher to receive recognition is Georgetta Holloway, head at the Heath Park Academy in Wolverhampton. She has been given an OBE after 20 years in education. She said: "It is an honour and a privilege to receive this recognition."

Away from the top jobs in health and education, ordinary people who have made a difference in their community have also been named on the birthday honours list.

Lynn Boleyn led a campaign to save Maidensbridge Primary School in Wall Heath from closure during the middle part of the last decade.

Her actions led to her being elected as a councillor in Wall Heath, while she then went to spearhead a campaign to raise more than £1 million for a new football centre for the Kewford Eagles. She has been awarded an MBE. Miss Boleyn, of Beechcroft Road, said: "I am absolutely honoured, I couldn't believe it." Farmer Bill Snelson, aged 82, will also get an MBE for services to farming and the village of Bobbington where he lives.

British Empire Medals have also been awarded to Julie McKirdy, who has been a supervisor at Thimblemill Library in Smethwick for 37 years.

Busy Bees Group, a nursery and after schools club offering 19,597 childcare places, co-founder and director Margaret Randles and chief executive John Woodward receive OBEs.

Wolverhampton-based foster carers Christine and John Whatton are awarded MBEs for services for children. Jane Redshaw is made an MBE for services to charity in the West Midlands.

Kenneth Sproston receives an MBE for services to education. He is clerk to governors at Staffordshire University.

Dr Clare Tailor, of Stourbridge, receives an MBE for services to general practice.

Jeremy Hobbs gets a BEM for services to Compton Hospice in Wolverhampton and Hazel Knowles, president of Halesowen St John Ambulance also receives a BEM.

Bobbington farmer Bill Snelson has become an MBE for his decades of work in Britain's sugar industry.

Bill grew up on a farm in the village of Bobbington but his life was to change dramatically at the age of 20 when both his parents died within six months of each other. The 82-year-old's story is one of hard graft. He was forced to take on the farm to provide for his brother and sister.

In 1960 he left the farm to join the National Farming Union's Sugar Board, which often saw him touring the east of England and heading into Europe to ensure the country's sugar supply was up to standard, remaining a vital cog in the industry until 2004.

For more than half a century he has also served as a parish councillor in Bobbington and a governor at Corbett Primary School in the village. Bill said:

"This is an award for all the people who have helped me in the village."

He also battled back to health after suffering a serious stoke 11 years ago. The commendation for the award described Bill as a 'role model in the community'.