We can all share in the glow of pride this jubilee

Congratulations to all those who have today been recognised in The Queen’s Birthday Honours – awards which have a particularly special lustre as the nation celebrates Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.

From Pompey in the Community chief Clare Martin to Coastguard rescue hero Nick Horst and everybody else whosestorieswefeaturetoday, the honours recognise careerlong excellence in their fields, and a special contribution to thelivesofothersintheircommunities.

In Clare's case, she has taken the lead on the design and construction of the

John Jenkins Stadium and education centre in the city which will house ‘a hub for Pompey’.

During the pandemic, Clare also helped initiate a huge rally to donate food parcels to ‘many hundreds’ of vulnerable and elderly residents, amounting to about 400 to 500 parcels delivered each week throughout lockdown.

She is modest about her achievement and dedicated it to the work of her team, saying: ‘It’s always about the team. It’s recognising that I am the figurehead but it’s for the organisation as much as it is for me.’

The pride is palpable for all the recipients.

Retired search and rescue aircrewman Nick Horst said: ‘I’m over the moon. It’s wonderful to be recognised and it’s quite humbling really.

‘I’ve seen other colleagues given similar honours and I never thought it would happen to me.’

Perhaps sight loss campaigner Benjamin Good put it best when he said: ‘It was really lovely to be recognised in such an amazing way for doing what I consider really to be the right thing to do. It was phenomenal.’

The honours system has its detractors, and it may not be perfect, but when ordinary people like Benjamin feel that glow of royal approval for their work, we should all share in it – and maybe aspire to it.