Local heroes: Full list of West Midlands and Staffordshire people in King's Birthday Honours List
A campaigner and charity fundraiser, two police officers, a community champion and a pioneering woman engineer are among the unsung heroes from the West Midlands and Staffordshire recognised in the first King's Birthday Honours List.
They are among dozens of extraordinary people across the region who have been honoured by King Charles.
Recipients from all walks of life have been recognised for going above and beyond to help others, while asking for little recognition in return.
They include Suzy Richards, from Wednesbury, who has been made an MBE for services to people bereaved by homicide.
Suzy founded the Smile for Joel charity along with her surviving son Owen Richards, after three members of their family were killed in a gun attack on a Tunisian beach in 2015, which claimed the lives of 38 people.
Suzy lost her eldest son, Joel Richards, who was only 19 when he died. Her brother, 49-year-old Adrian Evans, and father, 78-year-old Patrick Evans, were also murdered in the attack.
The 54-year-old said she was "shocked" and "overwhelmed" at the news, but that the gong will be shared with her son Owen, who survived the attack aged 16.
Also made an MBE was Mohammed Fahim, who was honoured for services to the community in Walsall, particularly during Covid-19.
The 46-year-old responded to news of people losing their jobs due to the pandemic by offering digital community support, helping people via phone and video with applications for universal credit and other benefits available to them.
Mr Fahim, who arrived in the country 20 years ago as a refugee, has also worked through the Afghan Welfare Centre to provide support for people arriving in the borough after the Taliban took control in Afghanistan and has become a much-respected member of the community.
Police sergeant Harvinder Singh Rai, from Walsall, said it was a "fantastic surprise" to find he had been made an MBE for his services to policing and to the Sikh community.
The 52-year-old, who has worked for West Midlands Police for almost 30 years, played a crucial role in increasing the recruitment of officers from diverse backgrounds.
He co-founded the National Sikh Police Association UK in 2019 and, with the support of the Home Secretary, was a key player in the creation of the Sikh Guard, a portal whereby hate crime can be reported.
