Bristol's Mayor Marvin Rees and Somerset MP Liam Fox honoured

Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees OBE said he was honoured to receive the award

Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees has been appointed OBE for services to local government in the King's New Year's Honours list.

Mr Rees posted on his X account on Saturday telling his followers he was "honoured" to receive the award.

He is one of a number of West country award recipients, with North Somerset MP Liam Fox made a knight.

Other recipients include Bristol-born charity worker Darren (Daz) Sims and a former mayor of Salisbury, Penny Brown.

Ms Brown helped set up well-known charity Help for Heroes, which raises funds to provide for service personnel and military veterans injured during service.

Penny Brown MBE said she "simply couldn't believe it" when she got the news of her award

As Mayor of Salisbury she also raised almost £2m for the local hospital's Stars Appeal, which funded new scanners.

Ms Brown said that on receiving her letter "I thought I'd been pinged for jury service.

"Then I opened it up and I simply couldn't believe it."

Of her work she said: "I want to emphasise that everywhere I went, every project, there were so many willing people that everything became quite fun."

Mr Sims said he was "blown away" with the recognition conferred by a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his services to the community.

He has raised over £1m for charity over the last 10 years with his Daz's Rock 4 Charity concerts.

Marcus Trescothick OBE wrote a book about depression

Marcus Trescothick has been appointed OBE for his work as an ambassador for mental health after speaking widely on the subject following his international cricketing success.

The former England opener who played for Somerset County Cricket Club, was also previously appointed MBE for his part in England's 2005 Ashes victory.

Keith Walton, chairman of the Severnside Community Rail Partnership, has been appointed MBE for his work on railway stations along the Severn Beach line.

"I had a phone call which was a little bit mysterious, asking If I was prepared to accept an award for the Severn Beach line. I said 'Oh yes'."

Mr Walton said he was "very pleased" the whole of the community rail partnership has been recognised for "all of the work we've done over the last 20 years".

Kathleen Prideaux BEM said having the letters after her name is a "real privilege"

Kathleen Prideaux, in Somerset, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for her community work.

"I had a letter… and was told don't tell anybody," she said. "I didn't even know who'd nominated me. I do now and I'm very grateful to them.

"I'm just part of the parish community and over the last 30 years I've looked after neighbours and I believe one of them put in my nomination."

She said her family and friends are very pleased which is "very heartening".

"And being a part of the King's first honours is very special. It is an honour: it's as simple as that," she said.