New Year Honours: Business leader and lunchtime supervisor recognised

Sara Williams from Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry is recognised with an OBE

A lunchtime supervisor and the chair of Staffordshire's chamber of commerce are among those recognised in the New Year Honours list.

Sara Williams, from the chamber, is appointed an OBE for services to the community, saying: "I never thought I would get recognised in this way."

Shirley Irlam, who started working at Wistaston Academy, Crewe, in 1970, receives a British Empire Medal (BEM).

She is recognised for services to education after serving for 50 years.

"I was a mother of five children, but I would say the school is number six," she said.

During her five decades at the school, she said there had been many changes, but added colleagues had been great to work with.

Ms Williams, a Liverpool resident, who has served the chamber of commerce in Staffordshire for 11 years, said she felt her OBE was a reward for the work the group had done during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I care passionately about Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire and the businesses and the people there," she said.

She also said the honour was recognition for the hard work of her colleagues.

Other honours recipients in Staffordshire and Crewe include:

• Janet Lord, from Burton-upon-Trent, a professor of immune cell biology and director of the Centre for Ageing Research at the University of Birmingham - CBE for services to older people

• Michael Allen, from Stafford - MBE for services to the local community

• Angela Ham, from Lichfield, the head of business support at the National Memorial Arboretum - MBE for services to national commemoration

• Elliott Lancaster, from Newcastle-under-Lyme - MBE for services to youth empowerment and sustainability in Staffordshire

• Catherine Nash, from Ashboune, who was manager of the vaccine centre at the Pirelli Stadium - MBE for services to the community during the Covid-19 pandemic

• Claire Wright, from Burton-upon-Trent, a patron and volunteer fundraiser for the Hope and Homes for Children charity - MBE for services to young people and charity

• Michael Lloyd, from Crewe, the chief executive of Stoke-on-Trent Classics - OBE for services to classical music

• Deirdre Drake, from Crewe, the founder of The Toy Appeal - OBE for her work for charitable services

• Dr Atiya Kamal, from Burton-upon-Trent, a health psychologist and senior lecturer at Birmingham City University - OBE for services to health psychology during the Covid-19 pandemic

• Sarah Jane Coffey, from Lichfield, executive assistant to the chief executive officer at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games - BEM for services to sport

• Albert Dale, from Tamworth - BEM for services to the community in Edingale

• Arthur Renshaw, from Uttoxeter - BEM for services to the community in Draycott-in-the-Clay