New Year Honours List 2024
We would like to congratulate two of our alumni for receiving an OBE and an MBE in the New Year Honours List 2024.
Emma Walters (née Robertson) who attended school between 1983-1990 in Lancaster house – OBE
This was for services to British Foreign Policy as Head of Department, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. People are made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire if they have carried out a major local role in any activity – including those whose work has made them known nationally. We are delighted that one of our former students has been recognised for her achievements within her role.
Pam Ward (née Coates) who attended school between 1948-1955 in Lancaster house – MBE
Pam is a dedicated volunteer, and was awarded an MBE in recognition of her exceptional services to the community in Whipsnade.
After relocating to a house in the village of Whipsnade in 1982, she soon discovered that the National Trust’s Whipsnade Tree Cathedral was on her doorstep. Quickly immersing herself in village life, she has been a driving force behind numerous local community initiatives, from organising village lunches to reintroducing bell ringing at the church.
Alongside her extensive community work, Pam joined the National Trust advisory committee in 1983, embarking on a volunteering journey that continues to thrive to this day. Following years of wartime neglect, Pam was instrumental in contributing to the Tree Cathedral’s restoration and, over a period of four decades, has meticulously helped to tend to its grounds, led guided tours, hosted work parties, overseen the installation of memorial benches, and been the master of the cathedral gates. At times, it even became a family affair with her husband and children pitching in to help with land management!
Photo credit: Pam Ward – taken by the National Trust at Ashridge, Hertfordshire.