Five more Staffordshire residents have been awarded prestigious personal honours by His Majesty the King for their invaluable contributions to their local communities.
The winners were announced in the 2026 New Years Honours lists.
On Wednesday 3 June, the recipients attended a special ceremony hosted by the Chairman of Staffordshire County Council at County Buildings in Stafford. Medals were presented to the winners by the Lord-Lieutenant, Professor Liz Barnes CBE, on behalf of His Majesty the King, watched by their family and friends.
The recipients were as follows:
- Mr Phillip John CHARLES BEM - For services to the community in Abbots Bromley
- Mr Richard Graham Hill BEM - For services to charity
- Mr Russell David CLARK BEM - For services to Higher Education
- Mrs Joan Catherine FAIRLEY BEM – For services to the community in Sutton Coldfield
- Mrs Susan Jane BOHANAN BEM - For services to the community in Staffordshire
Paul Williams, Chairman of Staffordshire County Council, said:
“It was a great privilege for me to host these presentations and honour these fantastic people from Staffordshire, who have done so much for our communities.
“They have all made invaluable contributions in their services and it was a great pleasure to see them receive such prestigious recognition from His Majesty for their hard work given over many years”.
Professor Liz Barnes, Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, added:
“Since the British Empire Medal was reintroduced in 2012 to mark our late Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, it has become a significant and much-admired part of our Honours system, often uniquely recognising voluntary contributions at a very local community level.
“I am delighted that we now have another five recipients from the 2026 New Years Honours, whose wonderful contributions have been recognised. It was a privilege to have presented their medals on behalf of His Majesty The King.”
Russell Clark BEM said:
"I am deeply humbled and honoured to receive the British Empire Medal and it is difficult to put into words quite how much this recognition means to me.
“I would like to thank Keele University for the support it has given to me, my colleagues in the Language Centre and our students in the work we do, and I see this award as recognition of the collective efforts of many people whose commitment and generosity have helped vulnerable members of our community integrate more fully into society."
Joan Fairley BEM said:
“I feel very honoured to have been awarded the British Empire Medal for help in the community. But I must mention that this could not have been achieved without the full support of my own family, Canwell Church family, also the staff and volunteers at St Giles Hospice, which we have also supported for the past 19 years.
“Also, so many friends and friends of friends who are most generous in donating many needed items for those living in Ukraine and fighting in the trenches, and refugees here in the Staffordshire Area. My sincere thanks to everyone.”
The ceremony also saw the presentation by the Lord-Lieutenant of the first Elizabeth Emblem in Staffordshire. The Elizabeth Emblem is the official recognition awarded to the next of kin of public servants and civilian workers who are killed in the line of duty. This was presented to Valarie Ann Sims whose late husband Sub Officer George Barrett, a firefighter with the West Midlands Fire Service, was tragically killed in a road traffic collision whilst on duty in 1976.
Further details on the awards are available on the awards’ government webpage.
