Suffolk New Year Honours recipients include Beccles Paralympian Jordan Catchpole, BBC Radio Suffolk's Mark Murphy and Bury St Edmunds psychologist Dr Beth Mosley
Community champions and well known figures across Suffolk have been recognised for their achievements in the New Year Honours.
To celebrate their work, here are some of their stories.
Krystal Vittles - British Empire Medal (BEM)
Krystal Vittles, 38, of Mendlesham, has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her work as head of service delivery at Suffolk Libraries. They manage a number of libraries across the county.
Krystal has been a ‘trailblazer’ in adapting to multiple lockdowns, when libraries across the UK were closed.
Many of their services went online and a jobs helpline was set up, as well as a ‘click and collect’ service for library users.
Krystal, who has been head of service delivery for three and a half years, said she was ‘shocked’ when she first found out she had made the honours list.
“I couldn't quite comprehend it,” she said.
"I was really happy and honoured and surprised.”
As well as adapting the libraries’ services, Krystal spearheaded Suffolk Libraries’ successful bid to become an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and co-designed a programme with young people and local artists to increase youth access and involvement with culture.
Krystal said her ‘passion’ for books started when she was a school librarian and saw the power and impact they could have on people.
She is a former resident of Haverhill, where she also worked as the learning centre manager at Castle Manor Academy prior to her switch to Suffolk Libraries.
Krystal said she believes ‘libraries do change lives’.
"How I like to frame it, the library is the last place on the high street and it doesn’t matter who you are, what you have got in your bank account, everyone goes in as an equal,” she said.
"An older person may live alone and that person behind the counter (at the library) might be the first person they have seen all week,” she added.
"The impact can be huge."
Kathryn Parker - British Empire Medal (BEM)
Kathryn Parker, 66, of Woolpit, has also been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her efforts co-ordinating a team of nearly 200 volunteers over the coronavirus pandemic.
Kathryn, alongside parish councillors Mike Hardiman, John Guyler, doctor Richard West (MBE), Reverend Ruth Farrell and ex-parish councillor Jane Storey, helped set up a ‘buddy’ system to help vulnerable people in the village.
A week prior to the announcement of the lockdown last March, she contacted every single household in the village, asking whether they needed support.
From the responses she built a database of vulnerable individuals and paired up households with the ‘buddies’.
All in all, 196 vulnerable people were identified and 178 volunteers signed up to be part of what was named the Woolpit Coronavirus Emergency Group.
Buddies were available via telephone for chats, and made prescription and food deliveries as well.
The group of volunteers, which is now around 60 in size, has also marshalled at clinics and pharmacies to help with those collecting prescriptions, or receiving jabs.
One of the pharmacies had a team of volunteers marshalling there Monday to Friday from March 2020 until June this year.
When Kathryn found out she was up for honours, she said she was ‘a bit embarrassed’.
“Only because what we have done in the village has been a team effort,” she said.
“All I have done is co-ordinate it. In fact, it’s a huge team effort.”
Kathryn also gave a special thanks to John Guyler, who had been ‘a rock’ since the conception of the emergency group.
Paul Edward Booker - British Empire Medal (BEM)
Paul Booker has been volunteering as a special for almost 33 years, serving the last 16 of them in Suffolk. He is now special superintendant of Suffolk Special Constabulary.
Starting out in the Met, Paul has been called to a huge variety of incidents including missing people searches and shop lifting and has even administered life saving treatment.
"I am quite truly humbled to be put forward for a BEM," he said. "There are lots of other people who deserve it more than me I am sure.
"Every shift over the years has been different. Everything you do, you make a difference. It is all about supporting people and being there for them."
Paul is in charge of a team of around 24 specials in the East Suffolk area. He covers everywhere from Beccles to Lowestoft to Halesworth and Leiston.
He learnt of his award when he received a letter in the post at the end of November.
"It took me back a bit. I was quite emotional at the time and it was truly out of the blue," he said.
Paul thanked his 'wonderful family' as well as the specials and regular officers he works alongside.
He also encouraged those interested in volunteering for the specials to visit the Suffolk Police website.
John Tillotson - British Empire Medal (BEM)
John Tillotson, 56, of West Row, is the RAF Commander's executive officer at RAF Lakenheath.
Mr Tillotson is also a voluntary detachment commander for Suffolk Army Cadet Force and has been awarded the British Empire Medal for his service to young people in the county.
He said: "I have never been a glory hunter but it was very nice, and quite a surprise to be awarded the honour.
"I enjoy working with young people and seeing them go on to achieve things, which is why I volunteer."
Mr Tillotson, has worked as executive officer at RAF Lakenheath for two years. Before that he worked in civil engineering at the base for 16 years. He ran the Bury St Edmunds Army Cadet Force from 2018.
From September this year he took over as detachment commander for Mildenhall, building its membership from four to 22 members in under three months.
"It has been tough during lockdown and during this time I actually ran four detachments online to keep the cadets engaged.
"I think we were the first to do this in the country and held regular Zoom meetings for the two detachments in Bury, Mildenhall, Sudbury, including talks from pilots of the Red Arrows, USAF, and the Army Air Corp, live from an Apache Helicopter."
Mr Tillotson was also recently invited to attend the Duchess of Cambridge's Westminster Abbey Carol concert on December 8.
Originally from Yorkshire, he told his mum, Cynthia, of his award on her 81st birthday on New Year's Eve.
He was instrumental in the recent effort by all Suffolk Army Cadets and staff who raised more than £10,000 for NHS Charities Together, Suffolk Community Foundation and St John Ambulance with a series of challenges inspired by VE and VJ Day.
Melanie Furness - British Empire Medal (BEM)
Melanie Furness, 51, of Thetford, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for her services to fundraising and to her community.
Having ran 314 marathons herself, Melanie founded the town's parkrun in February 2012 and junior parkrun in 2019, to help with people's mental and physical health.
Now in an ambassador role for both ever popular events, she said she has still not fully come to terms to being given her accolade.
She said: "I am still really shocked and have been checking the letter since it came through the door.
"We have known about it since the end of November and had to keep it a secret, but it is exciting to be given this in The Queen's Platinum Jubilee year as well."
On top of her running work, Melanie has also raised around £50,000 for national charities such as the British Heart Foundation and the Royal British Legion as well as local causes such as the mental health charity Headway, St Nicholas Hospice Care and even Banham Zoo to help them through the pandemic.
This year also saw her team up with Breckland Councillor Stuart Terry for a second year to raise donations and deliver 75 hampers to people in the community nominated by members of the public.
Melanie said: "No one does their work to get accolades like this, but it is nice to know these things make a difference to people's lives and I am humbled and touched that someone has taken the time to nominate me.
"When I showed my mum and dad the letter, my mum just burst into tears, they felt it was the icing on the cake for them and for me it is just a fantastic way to start 2022."
Sharon Thompson - British Empire Medal (BEM)
Sharon Thompson, also from Thetford, was awarded her British Empire Medal for services to the community, particularly during Covid-19.
Shortly after opening the Pine Close Community Centre in the town seven years ago, she organised its Meet and Eat community café, giving people and families who needed a hot meal somewhere to go - which is still going strong today.
On receiving her award, Sharon said: "I think this award is a team effort, I do not see it as something for just me but for the whole team as without a team behind you, you can not do all these things."
As well as organising the town's Santa Run for around the last four years and the popular 'Wheels on the Field' event, she is also the founder of First Aid Support Thetford (FAST) which provides first aid cover for public events and runs first aid courses.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Sharon and her team estimate they have prepared and served more than 57,500 hot meals and packed lunches to the community.
This Christmas saw Sharon team up again with the town's Tesco for a 'gift for children' drive.
This saw around 300 donated presents given to those who would possibly have received nothing and a chocolate selection box collection which provided 1,000 boxes to groups and individuals.
She said: "You cannot do these things without the backing of people and of the town and I cannot say thank you enough.
"Whether it be a business, a group or a child bringing us a selection box that they bought themselves to help, it is about community supporting community.
"I see us as just the middle man, you give to us and we pass it on. It is something we enjoy doing, it is a team effort and I can't stress that enough - any award that I get becomes a team award because of that."
Jordan Catchpole - Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Jordan Catchpole, 22, of Beccles, was thrown into the spotlight this year after winning gold in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay S14 at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Jordan has been swimming for as long as he can remember, and is also a two-time silver and bronze world champion medallist.
He is diagnosed with autism and found school difficult, leaving education at the age of 14.
However, his swimming career began to take off from the age of 16, and he has now been made a MBE for his services to the sport.
“It was a bit mad to be honest, I wasn’t expecting it at all,” he said of his award.
“We literally got a letter through the door saying I had got it and it was just one big dream come true.
“It's not something you expect to get just from being an athlete and just swimming up and down a pool. You don’t expect to get an MBE at the end of it. It’s incredible and I am just really proud.”
Jordan first got into swimming when he was a baby and his grandfather ‘threw him in at the deep end’. He then began competing at the age of 7.
A lot has changed in Jordan’s life since he made the nationals at 16, but Jordan insists he is still very much a ‘local lad’.
“My life has changed dramatically, especially since Tokyo,” he said.
“I have gone from being just a local lad, which I still am, but now I go to the shops and start getting recognised which is mental to me.”
Jordan is keen to encourage other youngsters to get into sport and keep pursuing excellence, particularly if they find a passion at a young age.
“I hope people get inspired and realise no matter what the circumstances they are in or anything that happens they can take up a sport and if they love it go for it,” he said.
“I was just a lad who struggled in school and left school at 14 and then all of a sudden I am 22, I won gold at the Olympics and I have got an MBE.”
Jordan trains daily to keep himself in the best condition for future competitions, including the Commonwealth and World Championships which he hopes to qualify for in 2022.
He gives special thanks to his family and friends for their support, his coaches for their effort and belief and Team Waveney Swimming Club where he trains.
Tarby Davenport - Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Wetherden resident Tarby Davenport has worked as an event consultant in the entertainment industry for around 40 years.
In Suffolk, she has worked in village halls to huge outdoor venues, including most recently on the 'Weird and Wonderful Wood' Arts and Crafts Fair at Haughley Park, near Stowmarket, which now welcomes thousands of spectators each year.
On a national level, she has contributed to events at the Millennium Dome and over the years provided entertainment through music, dance, comedy and more in Edinburgh, Newcastle and Copenhagen.
She has been made an MBE for services to arts in the community in Suffolk.
Despite saying it was 'extraordinary' she had been put forward for honours, Tarby was modest about the achievement.
"I feel pretty scared," she said. "You don't remember all of the things you have done."
"You go through all the mistakes you make," she added.
Councillor John Matthissen, from the Mid Suffolk Green and Liberal Democrat Group, has known Tarby for 40 years.
He said recognition of her achievements was 'well deserved and long overdue'.
Mark Murphy - Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
For Mark Murphy, the radio presenter has tried to use his role as a presenter on BBC Radio Suffolk to make his county shine.
The 57-year-old has been a presenter stalwart of the newsroom and radio for over 30 years.
He has used his platform to help change the lives of people in Suffolk; from dealing with litter to helping support a woman who lost her brother to knife crime, Mark has left no stone unturned.
Mark has now been made an MBE for his efforts and service to radio.
“It is all rather surreal and hasn’t really sunk in,” he said. “I am thrilled and honoured.
“I found out by a letter in the post. I thought ‘who have I upset?’”
Mark has been unable to tell people until now, including his own family. But when an email arrived at the BBC Suffolk offices, it meant that they found out before his loved ones, only adding to the surprise.
As the presenter of the breakfast show, Mark has become the centrepiece of the mornings in Suffolk. That role, though, has led him to wanting to help make Suffolk better.
He said: “I am Suffolk born and bred and I care passionately about where I live. If I can help to make it a better place to live I don’t think it is a bad thing to have.
“There are all sorts of things I have done which I hope has improved the life of people in Suffolk.”
His work has certainly improved the lives of people in the county.
In 2011, Mark launched the aptly named ‘Don’t be a Tosser’ campaign, highlighting the issues surrounding litter in Suffolk.
He has campaigned for more awareness on knife crime, helping Suffolk Police to launch a knife amnesty, which has seen 20,000 knives disposed.
The radio presenter also launched Suffolk Day in 2017, and was a vital voice in informing residents of Covid-19 news and ‘putting a smile on peoples faces’.
Mark added: “I could not have achieved half of what I have done without colleagues and listeners.
“I am not finished yet. This is not the end.”
Beth Mosley - Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Dr Beth Mosley, who lives in Bury St Edmunds, has been recognised in the New Year's Honours list and made an MBE for her contributions to the mental health and wellbeing of young people in Suffolk.
The consultant clinical psychologist was one of the first in the country to be appointed full-time at Thurston Community College to support students with their mental health.
Her work at the college was identified as best practice and led to an expansion of the project. Mental health clinicians can now be found in schools across Suffolk including the Psychology in Schools Team and the Mental Health Support Teams from Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
Speaking about the award, Dr Mosley said: “This award was a complete surprise and honour. I want to thank all the amazing people I have worked with that have made this possible, as well as my children, who have never complained about my unwavering commitment to the work.
“Outside of the home, school is often the hub of a young person’s life and so is the prime environment to promote resilience and wellbeing.
“40% of adult mental health issues develop before the age of 14, yet only 25-40% of young people receive the right support.
“Young people are our future which is why it is so important they get the right help early on."
During Covid-19 lockdown, Dr Mosley and her Psychology in Schools Team developed a program of online workshops to continue to support students when they were out of school.
“Over the last year nearly 7000 parents have attended or viewed our parent workshops on the key topics families and young people have been struggling with over this year, including anxiety and low mood," she said.
"These workshops have provided invaluable support to parents during a time they have felt very alone. We are passionate about accessible and responsive advice to families based on their current challenges and strengths; so, these workshops being so popular and gratefully received has demonstrated the power of empowering communities with appropriate knowledge and skills to support themselves and one another."
Dr Mosley is now working with young people to make short films on how to support their own and each other's mental health.
She said: “Making sure we include young people in what we do is critical, they represent a generation who have learned first-hand about mental health and the impact of the pandemic on it; coupling their skills and talents with our mental health knowledge means we can create accessible material that young people can relate to, encouraging a culture of togetherness, rather than isolation when young people might be struggling with their wellbeing”
The Suffolk residents will receive their awards along with some big names of 2021, including Laura and Jason Kenny who have been given a damehood and a knighthood for services to cycling and Adam Peaty and Tom Daley who will receive OBEs for raising awareness of mental health and LGBT issues respectively, as well as their gold medal wins at Tokyo 2020.
Knighthoods will also go to Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England Professor Chris Whitty, CMO for Scotland Gregor Smith and CMO for Wales Frank Atherton.
Also recognised are Chief Government Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, and Deputy Medical Officers for England Dr Jenny Harries and Professor Jonathan Van-Tam.
Other Suffolk residents awarded New Year Honours:
Knighthood
- Dr Douglas Edwin Oakervee, who is a past chairman of both HS2 and Crossrail, and has been awarded a knighthood for services to Transport and Infrastructure Delivery. (Newmarket)
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- Sir Laurence Henry Philip Magnus. Member of Historic England and the Culture Recovery Fund Board. Awarded CBE for services to heritage, particularly during Covid-19. (Bungay)
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- Antony John Peter Bowring, lately secretary and ship organiser for the Transglobe Expedition Trust, has been made an OBE for services to charity while. (Saxmundham)
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- Frank Bright, who lives in Ipswich, has been made an MBE for services to Holocaust Education.
- George William Paul has received an MBE for services to British horseracing heritage. (Ipswich)
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
- Darren William Aitchison has been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to the community in Covid-19. (Felixstowe)
- Susan Collins was awarded the same for her services to Bungay in Covid-19.
- Averil Selina Gibbins has been awarded a medal for services to Education in her position as cleaner at Whitehouse Community Primary School. (Ipswich)
- Franstine Cassandra Blandel Jones, volunteer and trustee of the National Black Police Association, has been handed a medal for services to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities in Suffolk. (Kesgrave)
- Adria Pittock, chartered environmentalist and chair of Suffolk Pride, has been awarded a medal for services to the environment and the LGBTQ+ community in the county. (Ipswich)
- Crystal Stanley, who created The Rainbow Trail, has been awarded a BEM for services to the Covid-19 response. (Ipswich)
- Lorraine Alexis Stone has been given a medal for services to the community in Moulton.
Queen's Fire Service Medal list
- Sally Angeline Hammond, group manager of Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, has been awarded a Queen's Fire Service Medal.
