106 year old Salisbury woman awarded with MBE
Anne Baker has been recognised in the New Year Honours
Last updated 31st Dec 2020
Harnham resident Anne Baker can now add MBE to her name after being recognised for her charitable efforts to support the NSPCC, particularly during Covid -19.
Over the last fifty years Anne has worked tirelessly as a volunteer fundraiser for the children's charity.
Anne says the award is "a great surprise and a great honour."
MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY OF SUPPORT:
In 1965 Anne was invited to join her local NSPCC committee in Salisbury and has been involved in a wide range of different fundraising events and initiatives since then.
Ten years ago, at the age of 95, Anne initiated a new fundraising event that would allow her to continue her activities - an annual coffee morning for her birthday in May, handwriting her own invitations and inviting large numbers of friends, relatives, neighbours and local NSPCC volunteers.
These events typically raise around £1,500 for the NSPCC, to the benefit of vulnerable children nationally.
In 2018 NSPCC trustee Dame Esther Rantzen was guest of honour.
Community Fundraising Manager for the area Caroline Morgan has described Anne as "an inspiration."
DETERMINED TO HELP DESPITE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
This year Anne was unable to host this event due to the lockdown, so set up a Just Giving page with the original intention of collecting donations from her usual guests, asking them to donate remotely instead so that she could continue to help the children supported by the charity during the lockdown.
The fundraising appeal received a flood of support from a much wider range of supporters, raising over £4,000 in a short space of time, more than twice what her usual party would have raised in an ordinary year.
OTHER LOCAL HEROES RECOGNISED
David Waters who helped reintroduce the Great Bustard on Salisbury Plain has been awarded an MBE "for services to Wildlife Conservation and to the Re-Introduction of Rare Native Species to the UK."
He's worked tirelessly for more than 20 years to bring back the world's heaviest flying bird to Wiltshire.
Anne Trevett gets the British Empire Medal for her work to help the community in Salisbury during Covid-19.
The 82 year old helped co-ordinate the shopping and prescriptions to people in self isolation living in Lower Bemerton. Anne is also Chair of the Safer and Supportive Salisbury Group providing a newsletter for locals about pharmacists open and other useful advice during the pandemic.
Anne told Greatest Hits Radio Salisbury she feels a mix of embarrassment at receiving a BEM (Medallist of the Order of the British Empire).
"Why me and not all the other people working so hard. We do this because we want to and not because we want an award! It's quite nice to get your work marked though!"
Phillipa Spencer from Stockbridge who is the Senior Principal Statistician, at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down is honoured with an OBE for her work during the Covid-19 Response.
There's also an MBE for Dr Joanne Thwaite - Senior Scientist in Microbiology at DSTL, for services to the NHS.
Derek Howland from Salisbury, lately Principal Production Consultant, Ordnance Survey receives an MBE for services to National Mapping.
An MBE also goes to Professor Alan Maryon-Davis from Tisbury for services to public health. He's the Chair of the Public Health Advisory Group at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The Chief Fire Officer for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, Ben Ansell, has been given the Queen's Fire Service Medal. He said:
“I am honoured and delighted to have been recognised with a Queen’s Fire Service Medal. I am proud to lead Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. This honour is truly a testament to the professionalism and dedication of all staff from across the Service that enables us to achieve all that we do. I would like to thank my colleagues, family and friends for their support during my career.”
The same recognition has gone to Area Manager Andy Cole, who said:
“I am so pleased to have been recognised by Her Majesty The Queen with a Queen’s Fire Service Medal. This year has been extremely difficult for so many people and organisations, and the fire service is no different. We have had to adapt and work in completely different ways to continue providing the public with the high standard of service they expect from us. This has involved innovative thinking from staff and managers, and I am proud to lead and be involved with this excellent work.”