British Empire Medal success for Halesowen and Rowley Regis volunteers

Judith Morris from Halesowen and Rowley Regis man David Walker will pick up their medals at a special ceremony taking place in September.

The duo’s heart-warming stories of selfless community service are just two of 12 people from across the region whose passion and dedication is being highlighted in the lead up to the investiture by the West Midlands Lord-Lieutenant, John Crabtree OBE.

Judith has trained many hundreds of young people in first aid and has directly and indirectly been responsible for lifesaving episodes since 1962 when she joined St John Ambulance.

The 66-year-old spent 40 years as the manager of Halesowen Youth Unit for the charity, training schoolchildren in first aid skills, while her lifetime service to Halesowen also includes helping at her local church.

While David has dedicated the past two decades in helping young people in Sandwell, being a life changing mentor to teenage boys, getting them to open up about their problems that resulted in them disengaged from society and encouraging them to learn new skills that have led them into successful careers.

His caring and compassion have been shown in his role as special constable and as a Justice of the Peace where he often sits on student disciplinary panels.

The 63-year-old is a governor for two schools and he also runs a garden club after school for Blackheath Primary School where he teaches children the importance of getting dirty.

A spokesman for the Lord-Lieutenant said: “Their stories are all very different but are great examples of how people are actively contributing to help others and make communities richer.

“Some have gone to extraordinary lengths and given countless years, others have travelled emotional journeys that has driven them to greater achievements.

“All have shown outstanding goodwill to other people.”

The awards will be handed out at Birmingham Council House on Wednesday, September 12.