Star comment: Deserved honours for our heroes
How uplifting to see some of the many unsung heroes within our communities recognised in the New Year’s Honours today.
Alongside the famous names from the worlds of politics, entertainment and sport we have a list of ordinary people from the Black Country, Staffordshire and Worcestershire being recognised by The Queen.
Many of those honoured from the West Midlands have willingly and selflessly given many years of quiet devotion and hard work to charities, community organisations and grassroots sports clubs in this area.
They do so without any thought of praise or reward - though thoroughly deserving of both.
It is heart-warming to see how these dedicated volunteers, who selflessly put in so many hours of their time each week and are the lifeblood of their local communities, have often been genuinely surprised – and in some cases shocked – to hear they have been selected to receive an honour.
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Among them Scout leader Derek Elton, who will receive the MBE at the age of 96. He has put more then eight decades of his life into his beloved youth movement in Stourbridge after joining at the age of 15.
There is Judith Morris of Halesowen, awarded the British Empire Medal for almost 60 years of work with the St John Ambulance, and Gordon Evans, chairman of Stafford Town Football Club, also getting the BEM for his work in building up the community club he started in 1976. Both are good examples of well deserved recognition for their unstinting work.
The honours system may be questioned in some quarters, some of the more high profile recipients rising eyebrows, but our real local heroes are an inspiration to us all.
Let’s hope that their stories will encourage more people to get involved in work in their communities. Without the contribution of such volunteers many of the causes that do such good work would not be able to function.
We wish them, and all the other West Midlanders working so hard in our communities, a really happy new year and a big thank-you for all you do.
