Rock star, amputee Afghan veteran, and RNLI man in New Year Honours
A ROCK star, a double-amputee Afghan veteran and a lifeboat volunteer are among those from North Wales recognised on the New Year’s Honours list.
The Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said: “These honours recognise and celebrate the hard-work and achievements of the incredible people who go above and beyond to put others before themselves.
“From household names to those silently serving their communities...I am proud to see people from all walks of Welsh life being recognised for their commitment to their cause.”
Internationally acclaimed musician and healthcare campaigner, Mike Peters has been awarded an MBE for services to charity having raised thousands for cancer care projects in the UK and abroad and dedicating his life to giving hope for families affected by the disease.
Mike, who was born in Prestatyn and grew up in Rhyl, formed rock band The Alarm in 1981 and went on to achieve worldwide success with the band performing alongside the likes of U2, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.
The 59-year-old father-of-two made a recovery from lymph cancer in 1996 only to receive the devastating news that he was suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in 2005.
He set up a sponsored walk up Snowdon, called Snowdon Rocks and following the success of the event, Mike co-founded the Love Hope Strength Foundations in the US and UK with Texan leukaemia transplant survivor, James Chippendale.
In the past decade, the foundations have collectively gone on to raise more than £1m for cancer projects through their international trek and events programme, with over £600,000 being raised by the charity in the UK.
Mike also spearheaded the By Your Side cancer care campaign for Awyr Las, the North Wales NHS Charity, which raised more than £350,000 for cancer services in the region.
Partnering with the Leukaemia charity, DKMS to help launch the Get on the List programme, Mike has seen over 200,000 people added to blood stem cell donor registries, which has resulted in more than 4,000 potentially life saving matches being identified.
He said: “I am completely overwhelmed and just so grateful to have been included on the New Year’s honours list.
“MBE must stand for a multitude of brilliant efforts, because that’s what lies behind everything that I’ve achieved – not my own efforts, but other people’s.
“Love Hope Strength Foundations... have saved lives and changed lives over the past decade.
“This is thanks to the support of hundreds of volunteers, thousands of supporters including our brilliant Alarm fans and a great many musicians who have got behind the cause. “This MBE really is for them. “I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for my family and for all they have done to support me over the years, especially my wife, Jules.
“Of course I also most certainly wouldn’t be here were it not for the NHS staff who have cared for me through the years.”
Louise Baker-Morris from Clwyd and Gwynedd Army Cadet Force has been awarded an MBE for her voluntary service for young people.
The 43-year-old from Hawarden started volunteering in 1995.
She became the first cadet force instructor to attend and pass the prestigious Regular Army Drum Major’s Course. She was also appointed National ACF Drum Major after playing an active part in all National ACF music camps over the last five years.
By leading both the Corps of Drums and first aid training in n North Wales, she has improved both the health and the wellbebeing of many disadvantaged d young people.
Louise (pictured right) said: “The cadets changed my life so much as a child that I wanted to continue volunteering as s an adult.
“I got a shock when I opened the letter to find that I’d been honoured with th an MBE.
“I don’t do it for awards and recognition, I do it because I enjoy it, but to be recognised is very humbling.”
Holyhead lifeboat station volunteer Graham Drinkwater (pictured right) has been honoured with an MBE for his services to the RNLI charity.
The 71-year-old, fromm Holy-Holyhead, has spent 55 years vol-volunteering at the stationon since 1963.
Graham’s first ever ser-vice call came when he was 19 years old, a rescue mission to save the Greek cargo ship Nafsiporos. w
Unbeknown to him,, this rescue would go downn in history and he waswas awarded a medal for braveryavery after the heroic rescue of 1919 crewcrew from the freighter in 100mph hurricane winds and 35 foot waves.
He went on to give many years of unwavering service to the lifeboat station. Before changing roles from crew member to leading the station’s volunteers as lifeboat operations manager, Graham had assisted 439 lives at sea during his time as crew.
Graham said: ‘It is a great honour to be awarded an MBE and it is very humbling. It is a reflection on all RNLI volunteers that I have served with over many years and hopefully many years to come. It is not something that can be done on your own.” Raymond y Goodwin has been awarded an MBE for his services ca to canoeing. The 66-year-old from Corwe wen is widely considered Br Britain’s finest canoe co coach. He completed the first ccircumnavigation of WWales and the first uunsupported crossing of ththe Irish Sea. FForeign expeditions have takentaken him to the US, Canada, SudanSudan and into the Arctic Cir- cle cle. He is known for coaching and canoeing with Ray Mears through the Canadian wilderness for the BBC’s Bushcraft series.
He volunteered his time to help organisations, such as Fairbridge (a Prince’s Trust scheme) and Glan Llyn which introduces young people to canoeing.canoeing. Sh Shaun Stocker from Wrexhaham has been awarded a BrBritish Empire Medal for his servicesse to charity. The 28-year-old (pictured riright) suffered catastrophic wounds while serving in AfAfghanistan in April 2010 at thethe age of 19, but he has now estaestablished a successful propertyerty developmentd business and isis aa motivationalmotiva speaker. He works with the charity,ty, BritishBritish Limbless Ex-Servicemen’smen’s Association where he talks toto secondary school kids. He works at a wingg named in his honour for ex-servicemen at Berwyn Prison, Wrexham. He has raised overr £60,000 for Blind Veteransns UK (BVU) through his Stock-ockers Strides 100km charity walkwalk inin 2016.
He raised £6,000 for BVU by walking up and down Snowdon in 2017.
Shaun said: “Hearing that I’m to be in the New Years Honour’s List for 2019 was an unbelievable surprise. “The charity work that I’ve been
nTh involved with over the last eight years has really given me a goal which has helped my rehabilitation and inspired me to give something back to the organisations that helped me.”
Tomos Hughes (pictured ured right) has been awarded da a BEM for voluntary services es to the Welsh Ambulance e Service in the Conwy Valley.
The 43-year-old, from Cerrigydrudion, Conwy, has been instrumental in leading the setting up,p, funding and installation ofof a number of defibrillators.s.
He has now increasedd thethe number of external defibrillatorsfibrillators across North Wales to 78, even placing one onto the summit of Snowdon.
Tomos also volunteers his time to train members of the public how to use the device and to perform CPR.
He qualified as a Community First Responder (CFR) with the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust in 1999. Since then, he has attended hundreds of 999 calls.
Tomos said: “I was completelypy shocked and overwhelmed whenwhen II received my invitation Newew Year’s Honours list.
“I would like to thank thee communities for their supportport andand my family and friendfriends along with my collcolleagues from WeWelsh Ambulancee SeService.” Anglesey-based Joshuua Bratchley has been awardedaw an MBE following hishis role in the daring cave rescuerescu of 12 boys in Thailand. MrMr BrBratchley, 27, a Met Office meteorologist based at RAF Valley, in Anglesey, was one of several British divers recognised for their operation to save the boys. Mr Bratchley said it was “incredible to be recognised in such a way”.
“We’d like to sincerely thank everyone who helped us in any capacity and make it clear that such a rescue could never work otherwise,” he said. Author Philip Pullman has been awardedawarded a knighthood for serviceses toto liliterature. ThThe best-selling writer, whwho grew up in Gwynedd, sasaid he was “very surpprised and honoured” to bbe given the award. He said: “I’m imimmensely grateful to ththose who have worked soso hard over many years to editedit, publish, illustrate and sellsell mym books. ““I’mI’m most grateful of all to ththose whoh continue to read my books, and I hope they don’t have to work as hard as those who edit them.” The son of an RAF pilot, Pullman moved to Llanbedr, Gwynedd, aged about 10, and studied at Ysgol Ardudwy in Harlech. He has often spoken about how growing up in North Wales has helped inspire his life and work. Gill Pleming (pictured left) joinjoined the former Gwynedd CoCounty Ambulance Service inin 1982 and became a contrtrol manager following the mmerger of county ambulalance services into the NNorth Wales Ambulance SeService. GGill managed the clinical contcontact centre (CCC) at Llanfairfechanfairfec and played a leading role in the introduction of the trust’s new computer-aided dispatch system in 2017. Gill said: “I feel privileged, honoured and humbled to have won this award.”