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North East residents honoured with British Empire Medals at investiture ceremonies

BEM NORTH EAST

Eight residents from across the North East region have received the honour of the British Empire Medal (BEM) for a range of services, including to the NHS, communities, public libraries and the arts.

The BEM is a national honour bestowed by His Majesty The King in recognition of outstanding public service. An investiture ceremony was held at Gateshead Council on Monday (13 November) for six of the eight honoured, where His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant, Ms Lucy Winskell, OBE presented the BEMs and celebrated those honoured with friends and family in attendance.

The six north east residents honoured at the ceremony were:

  • Hilary Cooper, for services to Young People and to Education (North Tyneside resident)
  • Lawrence Patrick Doherty, for services to the community in Gateshead (Gateshead resident)
  • Karolynne Anne Hart, for services to public libraries and to the arts (Gateshead resident)
  • Hetalben Mayank Patel, for services to homeless people in Newcastle upon Tyne (Newcastle resident)
  • Dr Ian Pattison, for services to the NHS (Gateshead resident)
  • Dr Lewis Thomas Potter, for services to higher education and to medicine (Newcastle resident)

Mayor of Gateshead, Councillor Eileen McMaster, said: "The investiture ceremonies are held to celebrate the fantastic achievements of those receiving a British Empire Medal.

"It is incredibly moving to celebrate their achievements with their friends and family, which are inspirational to our wider communities across the North East.

"Each of the individuals receiving a BEM has made a significant contribution to the region, leaving a legacy that we can all be incredibly proud of for years to come."

Two additional investiture ceremonies were held earlier this month at the Church of Living Waters, South Shields where the Lord-Lieutenant presented the BEM to Margaret Gregg for services to asylum seekers and refugees in South Tyneside and at the Palace of Arts, Gosforth, to present Gateshead resident Thomas Pringle Robson with a BEM for services to the community.

Thomas, aged 61 and from Dunston, has been raising money for charities and supporting Gateshead communities for over twenty years. This has included raising over £350,000 for the Great North Air Ambulance and hosting annual fundraisers for charities including the Armed Forces Charity through his environmental engineering company, Roflow.

Thomas said: "It's a huge honour be awarded a BEM, and quite the surprise. I've been fundraising and supporting charities for over twenty years, which is a passion I've inherited from my late mother, who began fundraising for the Great North Air Ambulance in the early 2000s.

"When she passed in 2003, I embraced her legacy and continued fundraising for the Great North Air Ambulance and a range of other charities along the way.

"Most recently, we've been supporting the amazing work of army and youth charities locally and will be hosting our next Christmas Fundraiser for NE Youth in December.

"I'm proud of my charity work and will continue for as long as I can to support our communities."

BEM NORTH EAST
16 November 2023

Eight residents from across the North East region have received the honour of the British Empire Medal (BEM) for a range of services, including to the NHS, communities, public libraries and the arts.

The BEM is a national honour bestowed by His Majesty The King in recognition of outstanding public service. An investiture ceremony was held at Gateshead Council on Monday (13 November) for six of the eight honoured, where His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant, Ms Lucy Winskell, OBE presented the BEMs and celebrated those honoured with friends and family in attendance.

The six north east residents honoured at the ceremony were:

  • Hilary Cooper, for services to Young People and to Education (North Tyneside resident)
  • Lawrence Patrick Doherty, for services to the community in Gateshead (Gateshead resident)
  • Karolynne Anne Hart, for services to public libraries and to the arts (Gateshead resident)
  • Hetalben Mayank Patel, for services to homeless people in Newcastle upon Tyne (Newcastle resident)
  • Dr Ian Pattison, for services to the NHS (Gateshead resident)
  • Dr Lewis Thomas Potter, for services to higher education and to medicine (Newcastle resident)

Mayor of Gateshead, Councillor Eileen McMaster, said: "The investiture ceremonies are held to celebrate the fantastic achievements of those receiving a British Empire Medal.

"It is incredibly moving to celebrate their achievements with their friends and family, which are inspirational to our wider communities across the North East.

"Each of the individuals receiving a BEM has made a significant contribution to the region, leaving a legacy that we can all be incredibly proud of for years to come."

Two additional investiture ceremonies were held earlier this month at the Church of Living Waters, South Shields where the Lord-Lieutenant presented the BEM to Margaret Gregg for services to asylum seekers and refugees in South Tyneside and at the Palace of Arts, Gosforth, to present Gateshead resident Thomas Pringle Robson with a BEM for services to the community.

Thomas, aged 61 and from Dunston, has been raising money for charities and supporting Gateshead communities for over twenty years. This has included raising over £350,000 for the Great North Air Ambulance and hosting annual fundraisers for charities including the Armed Forces Charity through his environmental engineering company, Roflow.

Thomas said: "It's a huge honour be awarded a BEM, and quite the surprise. I've been fundraising and supporting charities for over twenty years, which is a passion I've inherited from my late mother, who began fundraising for the Great North Air Ambulance in the early 2000s.

"When she passed in 2003, I embraced her legacy and continued fundraising for the Great North Air Ambulance and a range of other charities along the way.

"Most recently, we've been supporting the amazing work of army and youth charities locally and will be hosting our next Christmas Fundraiser for NE Youth in December.

"I'm proud of my charity work and will continue for as long as I can to support our communities."

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