West Midlands local heroes recognised in New Year Honours
From Commonwealth Games volunteers to community heroes – unsung heroes from across the Black Country and Staffordshire have been recognised in the New Year Honours.
Those who worked on the Commonwealth Games, people in charge of bereavement services amid Covid-19 and others have been honoured for their actions.
Among them is Chris Jones, who was awarded the MBE for services to sport and the community in the West Midlands as project director of Sandwell Aquatics Centre, one of the show-pieces of the major competition.
The 39-year-old, from Stourbridge, has spent the last four years spearheading the development of the centre, based in Smethwick, which held the swimming and diving events during the games.
Its legacy will live on as it is transformed into a community leisure centre for the residents of the area, and across the Black Country, for many years.
Mr Jones led the project, the only wholly new-build venue for the competition, during turmoil across the UK due to uncertainty around Brexit, an extremely wet winter and the impact of the pandemic.
He said: "I was totally shocked when I found out I'd been given the award as the Aquatics Centre was just such a privilege to do anyway and I never imagined I'd ever get an MBE out of it.
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"I am really honoured that somebody has put me forward to receive the award, but also shocked and humbled as there were so many people involved in this project and I didn't deliver the centre on my own."
Kate Davidson, who is from Wordsley, was made an MBE for her work with bereaved people during Covid-19 for her role as commercial director of the Westerleigh Group in February 2020. It saw the 37-year-old have responsibility for over 50,000 funerals a year and the operational functions of 34 crematoria and 25 cemeteries in England, Wales and Scotland.
She was thrust into managing the response to ensure that Westerleigh was able to provide the highest standards of care for the bereaved when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
She acted rapidly, identifying a key team to work with her on a coping strategy, as she dealt with difficulties in terms of PPE, rules changes and the possibility of staff shortages.
Ms Davidson also worked to look after crematoria staff and teams, organising deliveries of fruit boxes and sweets to all sites and ensuring that all staff received an additional week's pay in May 2020 in recognition of their dedication.
She said: "I feel like I've been the lucky person to receive this award as I feel that it is for every single person who works in the bereavement sector as they were the ones doing such awful work during Covid. I am getting this award for what was one of the most challenging times in the bereavement sector, with people going into houses and putting themselves in harms way and doing such a great and important job for so many people.
"This is life-changing for me, however, and might be the single biggest thing that's ever happened to me and I'm not sure it'll ever really sink in."
Other people who have been honoured include John Rawcliffe Airey Crabtree OBE, chair of the organising committee for Birmingham's Commonwealth Games, who was made a Knights Bachelor for services to sport and the community in the West Midlands.
Meanwhile those made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) include Ian Reid, chief executive officer of the organising committee, for services to sport after the success of the games.
Jatinder Kumar Sharma OBE DL, who is from Perton and is the principal at Walsall College, was recognised for services to further education.
Ralph Findlay, chairman of the C&C Group plc from Wolverhampton and former Marston's chief executive, was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the hospitality sector.
Mike Allen, who has been chairman of Haughton Parish Council for more than 20 years, was made an MBE for services to the community in Staffordshire. He has also served on the executive committee of the Staffordshire Parish Council Association since 2004, as well as being a trustee of Community Link Staffordshire since 2008.
He was joined by Angela Mary Ham, from Lichfield, recently the head of business support services at the National Memorial Arboretum, who was made an MBE for services to national commemoration, alongside a whole host of recipients.
Meanwhile, two members of the Birmingham 2022 team have been acknowledged for their part in the success of the competition with British Empire Medals (BEMs).
Bethan Stimpson has been given the BEM for services to young people from her role as head of legacy for the games. The 27-year-old from Birmingham saw a gap in what the Games had to offer young people, identifying that large numbers of local young people were closed out of the opportunities to work on the Games or be part of the volunteer workforce.
She co-designed the first Commonwealth Games mini-volunteering programme and established Gen22 for 16–24-year-olds in 2021, with the programme now helping 1,000 young people to put their social action ideas into practice, and developing skills across digital, creative and physical activity projects.
She has successfully won more than £1 million in funding, and established partnerships which are set to continue beyond the Games.
She said she was excited about the news of the awards and said it was recognition for everything her team had done. She said: "I will admit to having a little squeal of joy when I found out and after what has been such a difficult year and a huge amount of work that went into the project, it's really lovely to be recognised.
"It's also wonderful recognition for the rest of the team and everyone who has worked with me, so it's equally special for them and I'm excited to share this award with them.
"I feel really proud of the legacy that we've achieved from this project and the plan is to leverage additional funding for the longer term for Gen22 and I'm actively working at the moment with my team to seek additional funding to keep the project running."
Shah Begum was awarded the BEM for services to equality, diversity and inclusion for her role in Outreach and Impacts in the Commonwealth Games Legacy Team.
The 43-year-old, from Aston, saw that the Games could be a catalyst to draw Birmingham communities together, inspire improved health and generate opportunities for young people.
Through her work, she has given confidence to local third sector organisations and communities that they are valued by the Games and has fought to bring community media closer to the Games.
She advocated tirelessly for the Games to produce a CommUnity newsletter to share how communities could get involved and stimulated community interest in the grassroots United By Birmingham 2022 community partner programme, which includes more than 130 not for profit projects.
She said: "It's all a bit overwhelming and a fantastic privilege to be recognised in this way."
Patricia Ward-Jones has been awarded the BEM for charitable services to terminally ill children and their families.
The 69-year-old from Bridgnorth has been a fundraiser for Promise Dreams, a national registered children’s charity based in Wolverhampton, for more than 17 years.
The charity aims to help terminally ill children and their families, and she has worked tirelessly in her time as a fundraiser, organising many events which have raised more than £50,000 for the charity.
The tens of thousands of pounds that she has raised have been used in countless ways to change the lives of sick children and their families, including trips to Disneyland and the purchasing of specialised medical equipment.
She said: "I feel proud to have been awarded this honour. I'm happy to accept it on behalf of the charity. We are only a small charity and I've been there for 17 years and we all do our best to raise money to fulfil the dreams of these terminally ill children, and that to me is what it is all about."
Roll call for our region
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Denise Rosemarie Lewis OBE, president of Commonwealth Games England from West Bromwich, for services to sport.
Knights Bachelor
John Rawcliffe Airey Crabtree OBE DL, chair of the organising committee for the Commonwealth Games from Worcestershire, for services to sport and to the community in the West Midlands.
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Jatinder Kumar Sharma OBE DL, principal at Walsall College who is from Perton, for services to further education.
Ian Alexander Reid, chief executive officer of the organising committee for the Commonwealth Games from Renfrewshire, for services to sport
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Ralph Graham Findlay, chair of C&C Group plc who is from Wolverhampton, for services to the hospitality sector.
Matthew Cardover Gordon, chief executive officer of Spectra First who is from Wolverhampton, for services to vulnerable young people.
Ian Roland Metcalfe, recently chair of Commonwealth Games England who is from Birmingham, for services to sport.
Sara Louise Gilroy Williams, chief executive of the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce and Industry Limited who is from Liverpool, for services to the community in Staffordshire.
David Michael Harewood, actor and broadcaster from Birmingham, for services to drama and to charity.
Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE):
Barbara Pauline Beadman, from Stourbridge, for services to the glass industry
Kate Alexandra Davidson, from Wordsley, for services to bereaved people during Covid-19
Conrad David Gayle, diversity and inclusion manager at the Crown Prosecution Service who is from Walsall, for services to law and order
Christopher Dennis Jones, recently project director at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre for the Commonwealth Games who is from Stourbridge, for services to sport and to the community in the West Midlands.
Michael John Allen, from Haughton, for services to the community in Staffordshire
Angela May Ham, recently head of business support services at The National Memorial Arboretum who is from Lichfield, for services to national commemoration.
Christopher Graham Collins (better known as Frank Skinner), comedian from West Bromwich, for services to entertainment.
Medallist of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
Shah Sheikh Shepali Begum, recently outreach and impacts manager for the Commonwealth Games’ legacy team who is from Birmingham, for services to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Joe Broughton, director of The Conservatoire Folk Ensemble, from Smethwick, services to music
Lyn Head, from Brierley Hill, for services to the community in Dudley
Sarah Jane Coffey, executive assistant to the chief executive officer for the Commonwealth Games who is from Lichfield, for services to sport
Patricia Ward-Jones, a charity fundraiser from Bridgnorth, has been awarded the BEM for charitable services to terminally ill children
Bethan Louise Stimpson, recently head of legacy for Birmingham 2022, from Birmingham, for services to young people
King’s Police Medal (KPM)
Andrea Susan Diane Reynolds, recently a constable at West Midlands Police.
