North Essex stars named in Queen's Birthday Honours

Here are details of just some of our winners:

JOHN BALL

IT’S a secret man and his best friend have had to keep for weeks.

Firefighter John Ball is set to become an MBE for his services to national and international search and rescue, after being named in the Queen’s Birthday honours list this weekend.

The honour, which, he admitted, left him “shocked, embarrassed and proud”, follows his unbreakable bond with Darcy the dog.

He said: “I have to thank Darcy. She has been a loyal and dedicated partner who has been at my side throughout this journey and I would not have been given this honour if it wasn’t for her.

For the last 11 years the pair’s niche skills have taken them around the world.

Based at the Urban Search and Rescue Unit in Lexden, Colchester, they’ve attended major incidents around the world.

Mr Ball, 51, said: “I got the letter back in April and I have been pinching myself every since.

“There are so many deserving people in the emergency services so it was a huge surprise to me to discover that I was to become an MBE.

“It is important to remember that everything I do is part of a team effort and I could not have done this without the help and support of my wife Helen, our family and my colleagues.”

As one of the few fully-qualified UK search and rescue dog assessors, he has travelled around the world helping to make sure that rescue teams are ready to join international efforts in countries which have suffered a disaster

Since qualifying in that role in 2010, he has shared his expertise with international teams including Malaysia, Japan, Austria and Qatar.

Mr Ball admitted he’s not sure Darcy would be able to keep her excited barking down to be able to meet the Queen with him when she awards his honour officially.

“Although the Queen is a dog lover, I won’t be taking her on the day,” he said.

SARAH ELIE

A COLCHESTER woman who helps deprived teenagers has become an MBE.

Sarah Elie has spent 15 years working in the charity and

voluntary sector and has been

included in The Queen’s

Birthday Honours list.

Sarah Elie is the executive

director at the Somers Town Community Association in Camden and lives in Colchester.

Over ten years she has

transformed the organisation, which provides services for young people and adults up to age 19.

The centre has existed for some 30 years but during the past decade she has helped

double its income and raised its profile.

Recently Mrs Elie has been in talks with the women’s Government select

committee to establish provisions for marginalised women and secured funding to support those caught up in gang culture.

The association is now partnered with 75 other voluntary organisations and businesses, and has its own employment hub.

The 45-year-old said being honoured for services to the Somers Town community is a shared achievement.

She said: “There’s a whole team behind me so this honour is for everyone.

“I got into this sector because I wanted to make a difference.

“I’d had my children and was fed up been at home so began volunteering through my church and ended up with my own community hall in Kilburn, which is another deprived area.

“I volunteered for four years to get it off the ground, but I do this because I love it so when someone says they recognise that, it’s not something I’d usually take on board.”

Mrs Elie grew up in Colchester and lived here for ten years before heading to London, aged 20.

She moved back to the town nine years ago and is settled with her husband Anthony and daughters, Megan and Chloe.

She added: “My girls were really proud but they said I need to take my mum with me, who’s 73.

“She’s a huge royalist and has already bought a hat, as well as Anthony, who’s picking out his suit.”

ALASTAIR COOK

ESSEX cricketer and England captain Alastair Cook has been awarded a CBE for services to cricket.

Opening batsman Cook became the youngest man ever to reach 10,000 Test runs last month against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street and the only Englishman to achieve the feat.

Cook was given an MBE in 2011 following England's successful Ashes tour in Australia where he smashed batting records with his outstanding form.

After impressing for his home county of Essex, Cook made his England debut aged 21 against India in Nagpur, scoring a century in the second innings.

He was promoted to captain in 2012 following the retirement of opening partner Andrew Strauss.

Last year he overtook his mentor and fellow Essex player Graham Gooch as the nation's leading run scorer in Test matches.

HAYLEY LOVETT

THE proud leader of a charity which has helped thousands of young people deal with mental health issues has received Royal recognition.

Hayley Lovett, CEO of Harwich charity Teen Talk, was stunned to receive a letter telling her she would be receiving the British Empire Medal.

She has been put up for the commendation as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

Teen Talk offers a drop in service to young people, allowing them to talk to someone about problems in their lives.

Hayley said: “I found out a month ago when I had the letter through.

“I was certainly surprised and very taken aback.

“I would like to stress this is not something I have done on my own, I have a whole team of massively hard-working people behind me.

“It has been a bit awkward as I haven’t been able to say anything to them for the past month – but this is a collaboration and an award for the whole team to share.

“I am proud of the work we’ve done.”

The citation for the medal said Hayley had gone “beyond the call of duty” to help young people achieve what they thought they could not.

It adds: “Her impact on the community and surrounding areas has had an enormous effect.

“Around 1,000 young people drop into Teen Talk each year and it has grown to be a very significant aspect of the community.

“She dedicates vast amounts of her personal time to achieve this.”

Hayley said in the past five years, Teen Talk has tripled in size in terms of staff.

She added: “In one way I am surprised at how it has grown, in another I am not, because there are so many young people trying to access our service.

“I think the issues of mental health in young people are changing.

“It used to be things like homelessness and pregnancy, now there are a lot of problems with anxiety, depression, suicide and attempted suicide.

“There just seems to be a lot more pressure on younger people, we get people as young as 11 and 12 now.

“The thing we all get out of it is the reward of a young person coming in and turning themselves around – often it just takes us supporting them.”

GEOFF MACEY

A COMMUNITY stalwart from a tiny village was "dumbfounded" to discover he has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen's birthday honours list.

Geoff Macey, 78, has been chairman of Beaumont's parish council for about 15 years.

He has also helped raise £37,000 for village projects as head of the fete committee and been treasurer of the village hall committee for almost three decades.

"I was surprised, dumbfounded and pleased all at the same time," said a shocked Mr Macey, who moved to the village more than 30 years ago.

"I didn't know anything about what going on. Obviously someone nominated me."

He was also honoured for his role with the 3rd Thorpe Le Soken Scouts.

"My son Paul joined the Cubs there more than 20 years ago and they wanted volunteers to help out," he said.

"He's 28 now and has long since left but I've been their treasurer all that time."

Mr Macey found out he was included in the honours list two weeks ago but wasn't allowed to tell anyone the good news.

"It was quite unexpected and everything was top secret," he said.

"I'm quite proud to receive it but it is recognition of a whole group of people who do all these things.

"I'm a bit embarrassed - I think they deserve the recognition."

He added: "This is a very small village and really it is a team of people who keep things going. As a small community we look after ourselves.

"I've renamed the award the Beaumont Excellence Medal because that's exactly how I see it."

TREVOR GILBERT

AN employment expert has been awarded an OBE for his work to help disabled people get into work.

Trevor Gilbert, from Dedham, has worked as an expert witness for more than 25 years providing professional and familiarisation training, specialising in employment and personal injury claims.

He received a British Citizens Award for his services to industry earlier this year, but was absolutely delighted to get another honour.

He said: "It is staggering, I thought the citizens award would be on top of my CV for a long time but I can barely find words for this.

"Since I found out it has been like sitting on a hot potato trying to make sure I didn't let anything slip.

"It is just an incredible honour, especially on her 90th birthday."

MARK SMITH

Mark Smith, the head of suicide prevention and mental health at the British Transport Police, has also become an OBE. He lives in Colchester.