Cumbrians are celebrating after receiving recognition from the Queen for their work in the community and their professions.

One man was on the ground during Storm Desmond and has been ever since.

Carl Scrivens, of Glenridding, couldn't stand back and do nothing as he saw his village flood time and time again in a matter of days in December 2015.

He has worked tirelessly and selflessly to help his community recover and pull together to ensure it is never as badly affected by flooding in the future.

From the first day of the floods he was central in clearing trees and debris under Glenridding Bridge. He spent Christmas Eve unblocking the drains of an elderly couple who were forced out of their home and cleaned to make it safe for the future.

Now, he's been recognised with a British Empire Medal.

"I'm quite delighted to be honest," said Carl, who is a self employed agricultural contractor. "I'm very humbled and grateful to receive it.

"It's been a busy two years since Storm Desmond but you cease the moment when you have got the opportunity and that's what I did.

"It's not just my own voyage. I've had a lot of people help me out."

His commitments to helping the community get back on its feet have meant he's only undertaken about half his normal work and he said he's earned "next to nothing".

But it meant a lot to him to ensure this work was undertaken.

"I have watched the older generation throughout my life do what they do," said Carl.

"We just don't have those people on the ground anymore.

"It's taken for granted that it gets done - by for example the County Council - but they don't have the men on the ground.

"I have seen everywhere deteriorate very slowly over the years.

"I just love where I live and I want to leave it good for the next generation, especially my daughters because they love where they live."

Carl thanked his wife Mandy and their three daughters - Anne, 19, Niamh (corr) , 16, and 13-year-old Molly - for their support.

He also extended his thanks to the individuals and civil engineering companies who have help put the parish back to normal.

But, he says there's a lot of work still do to, with the next task to clear Grisedale Beck and Goldrill Beck in order to protect nearby properties.

An instrumental member of Patterdale Parish Flood Management Group, he leads the maintenance team who are responsible for checking beck measurements and managing water and gravel levels.

He said it's about correcting years neglect which leads to the whole infrastructure of the dale going into disrepair following periods of heavy rain.

Aside from his flood recovery work Carl has been an active member of the community for over 10 years supporting the Patterdale Church of England Primary School by creating a vegetable garden and a new play area.

He also carries out regular maintenance work at the village hall voluntarily and is a founding trustee of the Village Hall charity.


A Workington man has been awarded the British Empire Medal for his services to people with learning difficulties in Cumbria.

Tony Ardron, 71, of Ashfield Road, has been handed the Queen New Year's honours thanks to his work with the Tuesday Club, which meets at the Carnegie Theatre on Finkle Street.

Tony, who is married to Jean and has two sons and five grandchildren, said: "I'm quite pleased. The club started in 1987 but prior to that I ran a similar club for three years in Penrith, where I lived, called the Rainbow Club.

"All we do is run a club for people with learning difficulties, we play music, we play bingo, it's about getting people out of their homes and have a chat outside their normal environment."

Tony also has help from other volunteers. "We all enjoy it, we go out for bar meals and have Christmas and Halloween parties. I'm an outgoing person and the people who come to the club are also very outgoing and we seem to hit it off."

He added his family were very proud of him for receiving the honour.


An inspirational couple who have been recognised in the New Year's Honours have thanked all those around them for their teamwork.

John and Sally Kennedy have been awarded British Empire Medals (BEMs) for their services to the community in St Bees and West Cumbria.

The pair, who are involved in St Bees Priory and are community heroes, have praised the community spirit in the village, which they owe to everyone working as a team.

Mrs Kennedy, 80, said: "There are lots of people who help each other. It's a village of angels."

While Mr Kennedy, 81, said: "I'm very proud to receive this honour but I am also very humbled. I seem to have been singled out. I'm very pleased but it's not just me, it's team work."

"I would like to thank all the team players and whoever submitted my name."

The pair have been involved in the community following their move to St Bees in 1962.

Mrs Kennedy said: "When we moved here 55 years ago, we came onto a new estate. There was lots of young couples and lots of off-comers. The community spirit developed on the estate and we all helped each other."

She said that community spirit has continued.

Mrs Kennedy has taken part in numerous ventures in the village and across West Cumbria.

She organised community transport for around eight years to take people to West Cumberland Hospital. She has also been an organiser for the Priory Social Committee for over 30 years. She recognises and supports people living alone or who are unwell.

Mrs Kennedy says the church has played a "huge part" in their lives.

She has worked as a Patron of the St Bees Priory Church and in charitable works for members of the community.

As a committee member, and past president and secretary for the Whitehaven Soroptimists International, Mrs Kennedy campaigned for women's rights. She was involved in Whitehaven Inner Wheel in different ways, including being its president for a time.

Mrs Kennedy says her philosophy in life is: "Love God, love your neighbour and love and care for yourself. Remember, you achieve more if you work as a team."

Her husband is a valued part of St Bees Priory Church and his support has been vital for the church community as well as the care and restoration of the building.

He has been a member of the Parochial Church Council of St Bees Priory for 50 years, and has been a lay chair person for over 30 years. His role as a churchwarden for nearly 50 years has enabled him to work in a team with others to maintain the church buildings.

Outside of his involvement in the church, Mr Kennedy has been part of a number of community ventures.

He was the founder member of the Wyndham Search Team in 1966 which became the Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team in 1968.

He was influential in steering its successful early operation for 10 years, and was involved in many of the early rescue callouts.

Mr Kennedy says the set-up is very different now, "apart from the dedication, enthusiasm and team spirit".

He was involved in the St Bees Scouts as a committee member for several decades where he took groups on camps, and also organised them.

He has been a member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology for 30 years and also a member of the Whitehaven Rotary Club. He was also involved in the Whitehaven Round Table and is now an active member of West Cumbria U3A.

The couple have two children Alison and David and three grandchildren.


One of the founders of The Lakes Distillery has been made a CBE.

Nigel Mills, who also owns The Trout Hotel in Cockermouth, has been made Commander Of The Most Excellent Order Of The British Empire for services to entrepreneurship in the North East and Cumbria.

The chairman of The Lakes Distillery said: "I am honoured, humbled and thrilled to have been awarded a CBE and that entrepreneurship in the North East and Cumbria has been recognised at such a high level.

"I want to thank everyone who has supported me, all the members of the Entrepreneurs' Forum and, of course, my family who are equally as delighted.

"I hope it is something that can be used to further promote the aspiration, drive and talent of entrepreneurship in the future."

The Setmurthy distillery recently made the headlines for selling £1.75 million-worth of shares in under 30 days on crowdfunding platform Crowcube.

The company made an initial £1m-worth of shares available as part of a £10m government Enterprise Investment Scheme.

The distillery hoped it would sell all the shares in 30 days, but they sold out in three days, which led to an extra £750,000 being released - making it the fastest share sale for any spirit distillery on Crowdcube.

The investment will be used to produce the distillery’s award-winning spirits and expand warehouse and distribution facilities at its site near Bassenthwaite.

The Lakes Distillery was the first distillery to open in Cumbria and produces whisky, gin and vodka.


Baron Melvyn Bragg has received the Order of the Companions of Honour for his services to broadcasting and the arts.

The 78-year-old now joins Sir Winston Churchil and Sir Paul McCartney as members of the prestigous honour that has been recognised for 100 years.

It was established in 1917, the same year as the Order if the British Empire, as part of the coalition government’s scheme to reward services rendered during World War One.

"It's quite a bit overwhelming," Lord Bragg told the News & Star. "It's a very special award and I'm extremely honoured to get it.

"It's an astonishing list of people.

"I'm very, very proud to be on it."


The Wigton-born writer and broadcaster, who presents the popular BBC Radio 4 series In Our Time, joined the BBC as a trainee in 1961 and since become a leading figure in television and radio broadcasting.

In 1964 he was made editor of New Release, BBC 2's first arts programme, but is perhaps best know for his work on The South Bank Show, which was revived by Sky Arts after 33 years on ITV.

In 2010 he was award the BAFTA Academy Fellowship, The Media Society annual award, at the London Palladium.

He's also written screen plays and this year finished another novel, based on one of the great love affairs of the middle ages.

Lord Bragg, who was appointed to the House of Lords as a Labour life peer in 1998, said he's looking forward to coming back to start writing about Cumbria again in the near future.


A Whitehaven councillor has been recognised for political and public service in the Queen's new year's honours list.

Chris Whiteside, county councillor for Egremont North and St Bees, said he was "humbled" to receive the honour.

"I feel very flattered and honoured to be nominated. It was out of the blue," he said.

"I don't know who nominated me - for that reason I don't know what I was nominated for.

"I think mostly for the council work but it could be a combination of all the various things I've done.

"This year I'll hit 25 years as a councillor and I've done a lot of work for the Conservative Party."

Mr Whiteside was a senior councillor for 16 years in his home town of St Albans, before relocating to Cumbria in 2004.

He was runner-up to Labour’s Jamie Reed in the 2005 and 2010 General Elections and served from 2007 to 2011 as Copeland councillor for Bransty.

Mr Whiteside also stood as the Conservative candidate in Copeland’s first mayoral election in 2015.

He was a school governor in St Albans for 20 years and governor for Whitehaven School from 2009 to 2015.

Mr Whiteside has campaigned for health services in West Cumbria, which he says are "so important".

He was a member of the Save Our Services committee and attended public meetings and marches to protect services at West Cumberland Hospital.

He is also a member of the Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee, which reviews and scrutinises matters relating to the planning, provision and operation of health services in the county.

Mr Whiteside said he believes it is important for people to do anything that "creates a positive impact on the community".

Married with two children, he has worked for BT for over 30 years, where he is a senior manager.


Cumbria's chief constable and his deputy have both been recognised in the New Year's Honours.

Jerry Graham - the county's most senior officer - and deputy chief constable Michelle Skeer have been awarded the Queen's Police Medal.

This honour is awarded for acts of courage or conspicious devotion to duty.

A Cumbria Police spokesman said: "We are delighted that Cumbria officers are due to receive the Queen's Police Medal as part of the New Year's Honours List."

The medal comes as Mr Graham prepares to step down from the top post after announcing he is to retire by the end of March.

His period at the county force saw him act as the gold commander during two of the most traumatic events in Cumbria's history - the floods of 2009 and the operation launched as gunman Derrick Bird carried out his killing spree in west Cumbria.

Carlisle-born Mrs Skeer meanwhile has also been honoured for a career which has seen her rise through the ranks with the county force, working across a string of departments and a number of high-pressured roles.

Mr Graham said earlier this month "for personal and health reasons" he thought the decision to end his career next year was right for him and his family.

The move will bring the curtain down on a 32-year career that saw Mr Graham rise to the top policing job in Cumbria.

Mr Graham joined Cumbria Police in 2009 as assistant chief constable,
before being promoted to deputy chief in 2014.

He took on the chief role the same year.

Mr Graham joined the police service in 1985, working in a variety of uniform and CID roles with Lancashire Constabulary.

He rose through the ranks and was a superintendent by the mid-2000s.

In February 2006, he undertook a spell with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, taking command of a policing division in Belfast.

He has also performed national and regional roles.

Mrs Skeer is the county's second most senior officer.

She has previously performed the role of chief constable in an acting capacity.

She has held roles including detective inspector in Carlisle, working as the head of Carlisle CID and overseeing specialist units such as special branch.


Mrs Skeer is the leading officer nationally for the management of sexual offenders and violent offenders.

This role requires close working with a number of different agencies including the Home Office.

The Queen’s Police Medal was instituted by Royal warrant in 1954.

It is awarded to officers of any rank for acts of courage and conspicuous devotion to duty.

It superseded the King’s Police Medal, which was originally created in 1909.


A dedicated nuclear worker with close ties to Sellafield is "hugely privileged" to have been recognised in the New Year's Honours list.

Adrian Bull, who works for the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), will receive an MBE for services to the development of public understanding in nuclear research.

Although based in Warrington, Mr Bull works closely with Sellafield and the NDA in west Cumbria in his role as director of external relations.

He joined NNL in 2012, following several years working for Westinghouse in the UK - prior to that he served over 20 years with BNFL.

"I was speechless when I heard I was to receive an MBE," he said. "You never think about these things happening to you. It was a complete shock to find out someone had put me forward.

"It is a tremendous honour and I feel hugely privileged to have had the opportunity to work in some fascinating areas of communication and public engagement, both with NNL and with my previous employers.

Mr Bull also sits on the boards of the Science Media Centre, Marketing Cheshire and the North West Regional Council of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

He holds formal positions with the Nuclear Institute, The University of Manchester and Supporters of Nuclear Energy.

His father Harry also worked in the nuclear industry, at Risley, in Warrington, and Mr Bull says he has always been "passionate" about his work.

He has "seen a lot of change" during his time and his highlights include working as part of a team that helped "nuclear go from a last resort" to be "recognised as a technology we need" by politicians.

"Nothing I have done has been a solo activity, though, and I owe a great debt of gratitude to all those talented people who share my passion for the nuclear industry, who I've been lucky enough to work with over my career," he said.

Paul Howarth, NNL's chief executive officer, congratulated Mr Bull on his award.

He said: "On behalf of NNL, and personally, I am delighted that Adrian has been awarded an MBE.

"I've known and worked with Adrian over many years and I've always been impressed by his drive, energy and passion for the nuclear industry and his tireless work with numerous stakeholders.

"Adrian's enthusiasm and engagement across the nuclear industry align well with the role that the National Nuclear Laboratory plays in helping government and industry to deliver on its aims and objectives and Adrian has always been someone fully committed to a successful and safe nuclear industry."