British Empire Medal awarded to four residents

FOUR Carmarthenshire residents have been presented with the British Empire Medal for their contributions to the community.

Rosemary Erma Davies, Brian Wyn Harries, Mary Jackson and Paula Treharne were presented with the BEM by the Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed at a ceremony in the Council Chamber at County Hall, Carmarthen.

Carmarthenshire County Council Chair Cllr Terry Davies welcomed the Lord Lieutenant, recipients and guests.

Chief Executive Mark James read the citations for the honours.

Mrs Rosemary Erma Davies was awarded the BEM for being a mainstay of the community of Felingwm Uchaf following the closure of the village school. Mrs Davies started driving a minibus at the time the children were transferred to a bigger school, miles away, and has done it for 40 years. She is also voluntary caretaker of the community centre at the old school and holds classes.

Mr Brian Wyn Harries received the BEM for providing a service to the people of Brynamman and beyond having worked as cinema projectionist for 46 years until he retired in 2010. He has also been the unpaid caretaker, handyman and cleaner.

Mr Harries has attracted £25,000 in grants to develop the facility and is still involved.

Mrs Mary Jackson of Llandovery has volunteered for the community before and since retiring. She set up the Old Age Pensioners Club and the Housebound and Handicapped Clubs which have since merged to form the Friendship Club which arranges day trips, meals out and friendship opportunities. She also saved the Luncheon Club from closure.

Mrs Jackson also fundraises for local branches of national heart and cancer charities and is an active member of the church, a charity shop volunteer, and active in the Llandovery Hospital league of Friends. She ended her career as Sister in charge of Llandovery Cottage Hospital.

Miss Paula Treharne was awarded the BEM for her services to the DVLA. She volunteered to form a nightshift team to complete digital conversion and delivered impressive results. Her citation said her dedication was apparent in her professional role.

She has been active for years in the Ammanford community as chair and secretary of Communities First Pantyffynnon and the Pantyffynnon Action Group, and has encouraged the community to work together.

The Lord Lieutenant said: “I would like to publicly congratulate the four very worthy recipients. You probably know that the British Empire Medal was discontinued by the Government in the early1990s and then revived. One of the nice things about the revival is it enables many more people to be honoured for their service to the community and secondly it enables us to make these awards locally.”