Honoured for their dedication
Maidenhead: Head of counselling service receives BEM
The Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire presented honours and voluntary service awards to recipients on behalf of His Majesty The King earlier this month.
Andrew Try presented the awards to those on the King’s Birthday Honours List 2023, New Year’s Honours List 2024 and those receiving the King’s Awards for Voluntary Service during a ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on Tuesday, March 5.
Among the recipients was Shula Tajima, the director of counselling service Number22, who received a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the community in Berkshire, after being named in the King’s Birthday Honours List in 2023.
The charity, which opened in Maidenhead in 1976, provides free counselling and independent visiting services to young people and adults in Windsor, Maidenhead, Marlow and Slough.
Born in Yorkshire, Shula moved to Maidenhead in 1991 and began her work with Number22 in 1993 as a volunteer, later training as a counsellor.
She opened YouthTalk in Windsor in 2000, the first counselling service in the town, and later ran the operation at Number22.
As part of this year’s New Year’s Honours List, Charvil resident Jim Gillett was also recognised with a British Empire Medal and was presented with the honour at the ceremony.
Jim was awarded the BEM for services to the community in Charvil and Reading.
Mr Gillett is a dedicated volunteer who is known for his passion for local issues across thirty years as a parish councillor in Charvil.
He became the president of Reading Abbey Rotary Club in 2024 for the second time and remains interested in causes and politics in the area.
Mr Try also presented the King’s Awards for Voluntary Service to Berkshire groups My Cancer My Choices and The Ceremonial Wardens.
My Cancer My Choices, a Charvil-based charity, provides complementary therapies and support to help cancer patients in Berkshire make active choices to boost their wellbeing as they come to terms with their diagnosis.
Specialists volunteer to offer a host of one-to-one and group therapies with help to manage the side effects of conventional treatment and boost patients’ mental health.
The Ceremonial Wardens were created to support Thames Valley Police (TVP) with event management at the Guard Change in Windsor, with a particular focus on supervision of crowds attending these events and working closely with TVP.
Both groups received a special commemorative crystal and a certificate signed by The King in recognition of their contribution to the community.
The ceremony was attended by recipients, volunteers and staff from the winning groups and civic dignitaries from across Berkshire.