New Year's Honours for Powys and North Herefordshire

A Powys Councillor has been awarded an MBE for his work in the Brecon Beacons.

Councillor Gareth Ratcliffe has been recognised in this year’s New Year’s honours list for his work as chair of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.

“I was deeply touched to receive it,” said Cllr Ratcliffe. “It came on my birthday a letter arrived, my boy rang me and he said there is a letter from the cabinet office.

“I chaired the national park authority through the change of chief executive and also through the pandemic.

“Through that time, I took a 50 per cent cut on my allowance in that period to support the fellow staff.

“This was also a time with big changes at Bannau Brycheiniog and I have been chair or deputy chair for the last eight years.

“There is still a hell of a lot to do. I am campaigning to get the park funded correctly. If you compare us to Snowdonia or Pembrokeshire and the funding formula we receive we are around 42 percent less in real terms.

“It is really difficult to manage that and make the changes to take climate change seriously.” 

However that is only a small part of the work Cllr Ratcliffe has done in his home town of Hay which he has represented since the age of 21 after serving as a special constable for Dyfed-Powys Police. 

“I decided to follow my mum and dad who was an old borough councillor in the 1980 so I decided to stand on the town council in Hay at 21,” he added. 

“I was Mayor of Hay at the age of 23 and was mayor when we twinned with Timbuktu and signed the twinning documents. 

“In 2008 I thought I would stand for county council and just give it a go, to get some experience not expecting anything and I won.” 

Cllr Ratcliffe has been the Chairman of the Hay football club which he is set to step down from, he is also chair of the Hay youth club – which looks after about 60 children a week and is a trustee of the Royal British legion hub and is a standard bearer. 

He is also proud of his work as trustee at Hay on Wye Swimming pool, which was saved from closure in 2012 thanks to community efforts. 

He has been a governor at Gwernyfed High School and previously at Hay Primary School. He is a trustee of the Royal British Legion Hub in Hay and have the honour of carrying the Legion Standard at remembrance events to honour our fallen soldiers.

Cllr Ratcliffe said he was “humbled” and “honoured” after getting the award and said it wouldn’t have been possible without his family.   

“I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to my partner Stella and our children Lincoln and Bree,” he added. 

“Their patience and understanding, they have been the cornerstone of my ability to serve. 

“I hope to attend the palace with my partner and children, but we’ll see if the little ones are up for it. 

“Receiving this award was a complete surprise—I shed a tear when I opened the letter. It’s been an incredible honour and privilege, and I’m truly grateful for everyone’s support.

 “This sense of service has been installed by me by my late father and my mum who both placed community at the heart of everything they did 

“I love it, I am so privileged to serve Hay. I love the community of Hay how we all come together and support one another. 

“We have issues the same as everywhere else but we really do try and make a difference.” 

Meanwhile, a Welshpool man has been awarded the British Empire medal for his work using chess to help young people over 40 years. 

Steve Rigby, has been recognised for his work as part of 3C’s chess club in Oldham. 

Steve started the club in 1978 with his friend Roy Williams as a way to give children in the local area a chance to do something that would help give them opportunities. 

The success of the club has been profound and has seen people sticking with the club for decades. 

A Medallist of the Order of the British Empire was awarded to Francesca Hilary Bell, Community development officer at Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority for services to community development in the national park and to Frances Theresa Fenwick for voluntary service in north Powys (Machynlleth).

Across Herefordshire, MBE’s were awarded to Miranda Abigail Appleton. Principal, Hereford College of Arts, for services to further education (Hereford, Herefordshire), The Reverend Dr Kenneth Victor John Hopkins. Chair of trustees, Heart of Mercia Multi Academy Trust, Hereford for services to education (Hereford, Herefordshire), Karen Anne Rogers, Chief executive, Herefordshire Care Homes Group for services to social care (Malvern, Worcestershire) and Wendy Ann Tarplee-Morris, Founder of Little Princess Trust, for services to children and young people with cancer. 

A BEM was awarded to Elizabeth Fryer Davies for services to the community in Kimbolton, Herefordshire (Leominster, Herefordshire), a Member of the Royal Victorian Order has been awarded to Ronald George Whitfield, Royal visits co-ordinator, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Lieutenancies (Herefordshire) and a King's Fire Service Medal was awarded to Jonathon Peter Pryce. Chief fire officer, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service. CFO Jon Pryce said: “I am proud and humbled to receive the King’s Fire Service Medal in this New Year Honours List, something I never expected to receive in my career. Whilst this honour is personally something I will cherish, more importantly I accept it on behalf of all the staff in HWFRS who together deliver such amazing services to our communities every day. My holding of the KFSM is only a reflection of the superb Fire and Rescue Service that I have the immense privilege to lead.”