Maxine’s Honour
A charity chief told how she almost mistook her New Year honour for a spam email.
Maxine Allan, CEO of Whiteleys Retreat, has received a British Empire Medal.
The mum- of- three has been recognised for leading the retreat’s response during Covid.
She said: “I’m humbled beyond belief.
“I couldn’t believe when the email came through, I was convinced it must be a hoax and presumed it was spam.
“It’s a huge honour.”
A charity chief told how she almost missed her New Year gong – after mistaking it for email spam.
Maxine Allan, CEO of Whiteleys Retreat, nearly binned her official document from the Cabinet Office awarding her a BEM.
Maxine, 49, had been honoured with the British Empire Medal for leading Whiteleys’ response during the Covid pandemic.
The retreat has played a key role for both families using its service – and NHS heroes given free access to stay at the cottages just outside Ayr.
Maxine said: “I’m humbled beyond belief. I couldn’t believe when the email came through, I was convinced it must be a hoax and presumed it was spam.
“Nothing that I or the people involved with the charity do is for recognition of ourselves.
“So hopefully this honour will help raise awareness of Whiteleys.”
Maxine, who has raised more than £ 1.5 million for charities since 2012, drove the vision of opening the retreat to replace the outgoing Malcolm Sargent House.
It welcomes around 600 people through its doors each year.
Services were paused at the peak of lockdown last year, but the doors remained open for NHS staff to use the facilities.
Maxine said: “Nurses who were shielding from their own families came and stayed – I wanted to do whatever I could to help.
“I handled all the cleaning and sanitising myself and made sure the place remained available for them.
“We’ve also stayed in touch with families who use the retreat through social media and kept everyone involved.
“Cancer and other illnesses don’t pause for Covid and I’m just proud we were able to help.”
• Veteran whisky maker Richard Paterson, from Troon, was awarded an OBE for his services to the Scotch Whisky Industry.
The Master Blender for Whyte & Mackay Ltd is a third generation Master Blender, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, and has been with the company for 50 years after joining in September 1970.
Richard, more commonly known as ‘ The Nose’ after his body part was previously insured for £ 1.6 million, said the accolade was in honour of his family – past and present.
The grandad- of- five, 71, told the Post: “When I was told the news I was quite emotional because you hear about these things but when it actually comes to reality it’s quite unbelievable.
“It’s the icing on the cake during a very difficult time.
“Whisky has been part of my life since I was eight- years- old.
“My father and grandfather were whisky blenders so it’s more of a reflection on them and it’s something nice to say that the traditions of family have been taken to perhaps a higher echelon.
“The sad thing is that my sister was given an OBE but she passed away two years ago; I really would’ve loved if she was alive to hear that I was following in her footsteps.”
He added: “Love makes the world go round but whisky makes it go round twice as fast.”