Cornwall's community heroes honoured

David John Haines said his honour came as "a complete surprise"

A number of people in Cornwall have been honoured by His Majesty the King in the 2025 New Year Honours list.

They include operations manager for Looe Lifeboat Station David John Haines, who has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his services to marine safety.

Mr Haines, 70, said it was "very tricky" keeping the honour a secret after receiving the news about five weeks ago.

Other recipients include Olympic rower Helen Glover being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) after previously being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

Mr Haines said his honour came as "a complete surprise".

He joined the RNLI in 1992, working on the boats in Looe until he was 45 and as operations manager for the last 20 years.

'Lifeboat family'

He said he joined the RNLI after his brother was lost at sea while working on a trawler 40 years ago.

"I wanted to do something for the community and the lifeboats. That is why I joined the lifeboats," he said.

The lifeboat station recently recorded its 1,000th service call and Mr Haines has been involved in some capacity in all those shouts.

He added: "It is a very valuable role. All the crew and everybody at our station are one big lifeboat family."

Barbara Sharples has been appointed an MBE for her services to Cornwall Air Ambulance

Barbara Sharples, who lives in Talland Bay, Looe, has been appointed an MBE for her services to charity in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.

Cornwall Air Ambulance trustee Ms Sharples, 71, said she did not expect the "recognition" and it was an honour to support the charity, where she had been working on fundraising for larger and modern aircraft.

'Privilege'

Talking about her link with the charity, Ms Sharples said: "We moved to Cornwall in 2009 after we lost our four-year-old grandson, which is my link with Cornwall Air Ambulance.

"The helicopter that we had when our grandson was very ill was so much smaller and, when he became very ill and needed transportation to Bristol, the helicopter couldn't take the weight of the machinery which was keeping him alive.

"The new helicopters would be able to do that. That was a driving force. The work I have achieved is very much his legacy."

Malcolm Tozer has been appointed an MBE for his services to physical education and sports

Eighty-one-year-old Malcolm David William Tozer has been appointed an MBE for his services to physical education and sports.

"I am absolutely delighted, these things come out of the blue," he said, having worked and volunteered in the arena of education for nearly 60 years.

He said improving physical health and education across the country had been his "life's work", continuing into his retirement.

'Stronger community'

Leslie Lipert has also been appointed an MBE for his services to Cornwall's Jewish community.

The 93-year-old, from Penzance, was described as the "pillar of the community" for the past 20 years, working to support and cultivate the local Jewish population.

• BBC Radio Cornwall: Honours for those in sport, the arts and charity

He has been involved in numerous projects seeking to preserve Jewish history in the area, helping protect and restore at-risk sites.

His work has further allowed for better communal links between the Jewish community and the wider community in Cornwall, fostering stronger community ties through cooperation and education.

Helen Glover's new honour comes after she won silver in the 2024 Olympics in Paris

In the sporting community, Helen Glover's OBE is for her service to rowing, which she said was "such an honour".

She won silver in the 2024 Olympics in Paris as part of Great Britain's women's four, having previously twice retired after winning pairs golds at London 2012 and in Rio four years later.

She said: "I was determined that this Olympic journey would lead to winning a medal in front of three children and I felt supported by the parenting community."

Other honours recipients from Cornwall include:

• Jeremy Norman Brown becomes an OBE for services to arts and culture on the Isles of Scilly

• Sonia Clyne, lately volunteer chair for Par Bay Big Local, becomes an OBE for services to community development in Cornwall

• Janet Elston, from Bodmin, founder of the Triggshire Wind Orchestra and co-founder of the Cornwall Youth Wind Orchestra, has been appointed an BEM for her services to young people and to music

• Christopher Trewern, from Truro, becomes an BEM for services to the community in Ponsanooth

• Dean Ashton, chief executive officer at the Reach South Academy Trust, becomes an OBE for services to education