Retired Newbury GP among several locals honoured by the Queen
FOUR MBEs and a CBE were appointed locally in the 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours, announced a week after a Mortimer community group learnt that it had achieved the South East Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Retired Thames Valley Police special superintendent Alistair Borland, who was appointed an MBE, joined the Special Constabulary in 1996, following eight years serving with the Metropolitan Police Service’s Special Constabulary.
While serving in Newbury, he arrested a man on suspicion of murder and which later led to a successful conviction for manslaughter.
Sylvia Park, of Bucklebury Place, was also appointed an MBE, in her position as events secretary of the Anglo-Korean Society, for strengthening the relationship between Korea and the UK. Her award was noted under the Diplomatic Service and Overseas section of the honours listings and she is also the founder and chairwoman of the British Korean Women's Society.
A retired GP from the Northcroft surgery (1977 to 1986), Dr Michael Saunders, of Newbury, who is also the former executive of the Medical Defence Union, London, was appointed an MBE for services to medical practitioners and patients.
MDU’s chief executive Dr Christine Tomkins said that Dr Saunders had led the organisation with “enormous determination and commitment”.
“Through innovations he devised and implemented, he helped protect doctors and dentists in the UK from complaints and claims and, equally importantly, he greatly enhanced the rights and securities of patients who are negligentlyharmed.”
Dr John Symons, of Brightwalton , the founder of the Cancer of Unknown Primary Foundation, who was appointed an MBE for voluntary service to people with cancer, said that he was “delighted that the charity is increasingly recognised.”
Philip Green, of Pangbourne, was appointed a CBE for services to business and to charity in the UK and South Africa.
As reported last week in the Newbury Weekly News - sister paper of Newbury Today - Mortimer Village Partnership was awarded the South East Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, to be formally presented by the Lord Lieutenant at a future ceremony.
Meanwhile, two partnership members – treasurer Rebecca Barker and secretary Lynn Hannawin – represented MVP at a Buckingham Palace garden party on June 3.
The chairwoman, Danusia Morsley, said they were “over the moon” to receive the award, which she described as the MBE’ for voluntary groups, and said that it had been achieved “as a result of the work of all those who have volunteeredfor any of the activities that MVP organise”. The judges had been impressed by the partnership’srange, and number of volunteers.