00:00I ripped open and I read the first couple of lines and I burst into tears and I said to myself,
00:07oh my parents would have been so proud of me.
00:10A British Empire Medal is awarded to individuals who have had a positive impact to their local
00:15community through providing exceptional service and Wilhelmina Cooper from Canterbury has done
00:21just that.
00:21You are to be recommended to his majesty the king for the for the honour of British
00:27Empire Medal in the New Year's Honours List 225.
00:30The short citation for the award would read for services to charitable fundraising and
00:36to the community in Kent.
00:38Wilhelmina has contributed her time across many different sectors from helping hundreds
00:42of disadvantaged children have access to music making to being the director of the Samaritans.
00:48From the Samaritans I was headhunted by Relate marriage guidance.
00:51I went and worked with them and I helped raise money to buy them a new building.
00:56I've always bought new buildings you know and then I worked with the Cyrenians which
01:01was a homeless charity in Canterbury and again we bought a house for people who were homeless
01:07and since then I've been doing other work.
01:10I'm now permanently I'm the general manager of the Deal Music and Arts where we do a lot
01:16of work with young children and the community which is great.
01:19For more than 50 years she has given her time to a number of different causes and has not
01:24until now realised the worth of her contributions.
01:28It was a great shock really you never think once when that happens you never think you
01:32deserve it of course you know you say oh golly I can't be for me when he was and that's great.
01:39From looking around her office the contributions she has made to the community are clear
01:44but she is not the only person from Kent who's being recognised for their hard work.
01:49David Ward is getting an MBE.
01:51He's a founder and CEO for Abigail's Footsteps, a charity supporting bereaved parents.
01:57We always talk about the importance of fundraising but the raising awareness
02:01is equally as important and any recognition we can give towards the tragic situation that
02:07still goes on in this country with stillbirth and the poor facilities that exist in many
02:11hospitals still so the more we can do and if this award helps recognise that and the
02:16more we can challenge hospitals to improve their bereavement care then fantastic.
02:20Another is the longest serving Doctor Who actor Tom Baker
02:25who is being awarded with an MBE for his services to television.
02:29Don't you mean the infirmary?
02:31No I do not mean the infirmary I mean the sickbay you're not fit yet.
02:34Not fit I'm the doctor.
02:35No doctor I'm the doctor and I say that you're not fit.
02:38You may be a doctor but I'm the doctor.
02:41A total of 26 people were on this year's list for their services to Kent
02:45for making a positive impact to those in the county.
02:48Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV
Comments