A NUMBER Carmarthenshire residents have received honours this year. Mrs Rosalie Mary James has received an MBE or services to Agriculture in Wales. She is from Llandeilo. In local healthcare, Ms Wendy Angharad Churchouse from Carmarthenshire who is an arrhythmia nurse at Morriston Hospital has received a British Empire Medal for services to cardiac patients in south west Wales. Also in Carmarthenshire, Mrs Erika Walker has received the MBW for voluntary services to the community and Social Enterprises in her home town of Ammanford William Bruce McLernon from Swansea has received the OBE for services to Social Care and Local Government particularly in Carmarthenshire.
A graduate of Durham University, Bruce entered into Public Service with Durham County Council and became Team Leader with Gateshead MBC Social Services Department for an Action Research Project developing personalised care support. In 1986, he went on to be Principal Officer (Mental Health and Learning Disabilities) for West Glamorgan County Council Social Service before taking up the post of Assistant Director (Support Services) in 1988. In 1996, he was appointed Assistant Director (Older People and People with a Physical Disability Services) with the City and County of Swansea. Having spent a further 14 years as Director of Social Care, Health and Housing in Carmarthenshire, Bruce was responsible for creating a new Directorate bringing together Social Services, Housing and Public Protection. Bruce is a Past President of the Association of Directors of Social Service, Cymru and Chaired the Mid and West Wales Health & Social Care Collaborative up until 2014 when he retired from public service.
Council leader Emlyn Dole told The Herald: “I would like to congratulate Bruce on this honour which is very well deserved for all his hard work. As the chair of the health and social care scrutiny committee for two years, I had the pleasure of working with Bruce when he was the director. “He was very easy to work with and was always willing to listen as well as educate. I am delighted that his efforts have been recognised.” In Ceredigion, Mrs Maureen Spowart Davies who is the Secretary of Trustees for the HUTS Workshop bas also received an MBE for voluntary service to people with Mental Health Challenges. She is from Newcastle Emlyn. Also in Ceredigion Miss Valerie Joy Cook has received the British Empire Medal for voluntary service to her local community in Borth. In Pembrokeshire there were two honours. Richard Graham Tovey Honorary Life Member, The Independent Association of Prep Schools, Leamington Spa who lives Haverfordwest received an MBE for services to education.
Pauline Griffiths, the curator at Narberth Museum received a British Empire Medal for services to heritage and the local community. One of Carmarthenshire’s most famous residents says she is overwhelmed with news of her award. Veteran actress Sian Phillips has been recognised in the New Year’s Honours. Phillips, who stole the show in The Archers’ version of Calendar Girls this Christmas, has been made a dame, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. The 82-year-old, who says she has no plans for retirement, is one of Wales’ most successful stage and screen stars and swaps her CBE for a damehood for services to drama. Sian Phillips, who is from Gwaun- Cae-Gurwen, near Ammanford, told reporters: “It’s a very nice thing to happen. When I first heard about it I was a bit overwhelmed – it was totally unexpected. “It’s something I’ve never thought about during my life. I got my first pay check in Wales at the age of 11 and a damehood would have been so remote to me as an ambition at that time and that’s the way it’s stayed. “I just wanted to become an actress and then when I became one I just wanted to get better and better (at the job). I’m not a celebrity – I don’t belong to that culture at all.”
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