King's Birthday Honours 2023: Devon fostering couple honoured

David and Vivienne Baker have fostered 48 children

The founder of a charity for refugees and a couple who fostered 48 young people over 40 years are among those on the King's Birthday Honours List.

Susannah Baker, 48, from Croyde, Devon, who is the co-founder of The Pickwell Foundation, was appointed an MBE for services to Ukrainian refugees.

Meanwhile, David and Vivienne Baker have been appointed MBEs for services to children.

Mr Baker said: "Fostering has been our passion since we were married."

'Fulfilled lives'

Mr Baker, 74, and Mrs Baker, 75, both from Plymouth, have worked with Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council to foster children for the last 40 years, the Cabinet Office said.

Social workers noted how the couple created a "loving and therapeutic environment" for traumatised children, including those with attachment disorders, foetal alcohol syndrome and disabilities.

Mr Baker said: "The beauty of why we enjoy it is because we don't say bye-bye at the end.

"We still see them, we often act as grandparents for their children and we are part of their growing family, it's lovely."

Mrs Baker said they felt "very honoured" and "we also feel very blessed to still be able to carry on doing the job we love doing".

"Our lives have been so fulfilled through fostering," she added.

Susannah Baker's charity has helped to find homes for Ukrainian families

Susannah founded The Pickwell Foundation, a charity which has supported migrant families staying in communities and in hotels.

She has led the foundation's community sponsorship efforts in north Devon, supporting people from Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Susannah said: "I feel really quite shocked but really pleased [to be honoured]."

She said she was able to sit in on meetings with the Levelling Up Department to help shape their Homes for Ukraine scheme.

"I think I was able to take that learning from the work we do on the ground into a national conversation to help shape, push and pull the way the scheme was going to play out nationally," she added.

In 2022, she was also given the BBC Make a Difference Together Award.

Sarah James founded the Bovey Tracey Craft Festival, which now has 10,000 visitors

Sarah James, 53, who founded the non-profit Bovey Tracey Craft Festival, has been appointed an MBE for services to craft.

Since 2003, the festival has grown from 2,000 to 10,000 visitors and was awarded Visit Devon's Festival of the Year Gold Award in 2015, 2016 and 2018.

Ms James said: "It has given me a great deal of contentment to feel this recognition.

"But there is a team behind us, it is a huge team effort and I wouldn't have had the award without all those amazing people making me look good."

Other MBEs appointed in Devon include:

• Sara Cox, 33, world's first female professional rugby union referee, for services to rugby

• Patricia Spruce, 46, from Paignton, associate director for people services and recruitment at Yeovil District Hospital, for services to the NHS

• Dennis Mardon, 73, from Crediton, chair of Citizens Advice Exeter, for services to vulnerable people in Exeter

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