East Lancashire's New Year Honours

Among the award-winners are a long-serving lollipop lady, midwife, headteacher, police off-i-cers and community champ-ions.

Irene Reid, who has been helping children across the road outside Longridge CE Primary School, in Berry Lane, for 43 years, has been given an MBE for services to road safety.

The great-grandmother, who lives in Jeffrey Avenue, Long-ridge, with her husband Bill, said she was ‘really proud’ of her achievement.

“When the letter arrived from the Cabinet Office I just glanced at it and left it sitting there because I was doing crochet.

“I thought it would be some-thing to do with voting and push-ed it to one side. But when I did finally open it I thought ‘oh very funny, somebody is pulling my leg’ because I have such a big family and lots of friends and they have been joking for years that I should get a medal for what I do.

“It’s a huge honour. I’m really proud and my family are absolutely thrilled to bits, and I know the whole of Longridge will be as well.

“This is as much for them as it is for me, especially the other lollipop men and lad-ies,” she said.

Irene, who has four child-ren, five grandchildren and a great-grandson, has been a lollipop lady in Berry Lane since 1969.

Sheena Byrom, from Wha-lley, received an OBE for services to midwifery after a 35-year career working with thousands of women.

The former head of mid-wifery services at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust was already celeb-rating after learning that her book, Catching Babies, was in the Sunday Times Bestseller List.

The mum-of-four said: “The award totally took me by surprise – I didn’t expect it at all.

“I am delighted but I think there are a lot of other people involved in my ach-ievements, so I do feel sli-ghtly anxious about all the focus being on me.”

The head of a police unit which deals with extre-mism, forced marriage and community cohesion was also given an MBE.

Sgt John Rigby said his award for services to pol-icing was a recognition of his team’s vital work and the response from the resi-dents of East Lancashire.

Sgt Rigby, who is based in the community cohesion team in Blackburn, said his wife Yvonne told him over the phone about the award.

The 49-year-old father-of-two from Garstang said: “It is really nice to know somebody put me forward.

“It is an award for my family, my colleagues and the communities.”

Sgt Rigby joined the Met in 1982 as they were recruiting 90 officers a week following the Brixton Riots and Lancashire were not.

He helped police major sporting and social events at Wembley including the Nelson Mandela concert and transferred to Lanc-ashire in 1991.

“It was a life changing move but I never regretted because of the people who live and work in East Lancashire. Throughout the 90s Lancashire caught up and I’m proud to work for one of the best forces in the country now,” he said.

Sgt Rigby’s team was the first in the country to apply for a Forced Marriage Prot-ection Order at court under new legislation.

“Many of the officers in this team have stayed bec-ause they believe what they are doing can make a difference. This award is also for them.”

Margaret Vinten, was given her MBE for vol-untary service to Derian House, the children’s hospice for Lancashire. She stepped down this year as chair of the Trus-tees to hand over to mana-ging director of Moving Works, Georgina Cox. Mrs Cox said: “She is not only founder of the hospice, but has also been the driving force behind its development.

Dawn Stoddard from Chorley, who was the Learndirect outstanding learner of the year 2010, is rewarded with an MBE for services to further education.

Meanwhile Eve Challinger, former headteacher at Haslingden High, has been given an OBE for services to education. Her 38-year association with the Broadway school saw Haslingden named the ninth most improved in the country and secure an ‘excellent’ rating from watchdog Ofsted.

Elsewhere Rodney Aldridge, chair of the Aldridge Foundation, which funded Darwen Academy, has been honoured with a knighthood for services to young people.

A CBE has been awarded to Richard Jones, director of adult social care at Lancashire County Council.

Special Insp Peter Kellett has been awarded MBE for services to the police.

Ian Robertson, the former chief of the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship, who is from Blackburn, receives an MBE for services to enterprise.

Dr Ian Smith, founder and global medical director of Synexus, Buckshaw Village, has gained an MBE for services to health research.

And Amanda Thompson, managing director of Pleasure Beach Blackpool was awarded an OBE for her services to tourism.

She is the great-granddaughter of Pleasure Beach founder, William George Bean.Accrington-born Papworth Hospital transplant surgeon Prof John Walwork receives a CBE.