Two Pembrokeshire residents have officially been presented with their British Empire Medals.
Musician and local historian Mrs Pat Swales-Barker from Haverfordwest and conservationist Mr Stephen Sutcliffe from Dale received their BEMs from the Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed, The Hon Robin Lewis CVO OBE, at a ceremony in County Hall, Haverfordwest.
The awards were among those announced in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June.
Mrs Swales-Barker is well known throughout the county for her lifelong passion for music.
Apart from her membership of the Swales family and her association with the Haverfordwest music shop of that name, she is also a keen local historian.
A Magistrate, she is President of the Landsker Singers choir and a Parish Warden of St Mary’s Church in Haverfordwest, who has helped raised money for the church’s restoration appeal.
A keen conservationist in Pembrokeshire since he was 16, Mr Sutcliffe, 68, receives his award for leading a project to renovate Skokholm Island.
A former Warden on Skomer Island for ten years, he headed a team of 80 volunteers which transformed the island and re-established it as a top bird observatory.
The ceremony – attended by close family members of the recipients – was hosted by the Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council, Councillor Wyn Evans.
He also congratulated the Lord Lieutenant who, in the same Honours List earlier this year, became a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.
