Former Aylesbury Mayor and Princes Risborough official among Bucks residents on Queen's birthday honour list

Raj Khan, the councillor from Aylesbury is among nine members of the Buckinghamshire community in this year's Queen's Honour List.

Announced today (June 11), the former Aylesbury Mayor has been recognised by Her Majesty for his work organising a Covid support hub in Aylesbury.

Councillor Khan will receive a British Empire Medal (BEM) in recognition of his years serving Aylesbury as a politician, but also for helping his community through a desperately challenging pandemic.

This year's Honours List was heavily tilted towards individuals whose work and actions helped others through an incredibly difficult period dealing with the coronavirus.

Thomas Wrigley from Princes Risborough's, honour reflects this. Thomas has been granted an MBE for his work as head of security at Birmingham University. His organisation skills kept students safe and allowed vital research to take place at the university, combatting the virus.

Peter Cullimore from Beaconsfield has been given an MBE for his altruistic actions giving money to charities and social care causes.

Caroline Bunting was also granted an MBE, she is CEO of Internet Matters, a charity educating parents on how to keep their children safe, when surfing the internet.

Daska Emery from Bourne End, has been granted a BEM for her work setting up a volunteer service to help vulnerable members of society shielding away from Covid. Naomi Brock from Olney received the same honour, for a series of projects she runs in her town. The 39-year-old's charity's help organise food donations and temporary accommodations to those in need.

Shaaron Forbes from Milton Keynes will receive a BEM for her work in the Wolverton community. She is joint manager of a community care group that provided over 5,000 meals to people in isolation and living in food poverty.

Andrew Forbes is joint manager with Shaaron and received the same accolade, for his role in the community schemes.

Stephen Kimbell from Weston Underwood, has spent over 20 years supporting children's hospices and has been granted a BEM in recognition of that. He sponsors care homes, schools and disabled charities in Romania.

Councillor Khan currently sits on the Buckinghamshire Council representing the Aylesbury North Ward. A spokesperson for the government described Councillor Khan as a "larger than life figure", in Aylesbury politics.

Councillor Khan has played an active role in the support hub in Aylesbury,. He offered up his taxi company to assist in any way possible, by providing ongoing support throughout the pandemic.

They have been the go-to volunteers, especially for difficult prescription collections from hospitals further afield or for last minute emergency pick ups.

On top of this, he has been providing free curry meals for all of those working within the Aylesbury COVID-19 Support Hub and to the local emergency services on the frontline.

George's work for the University of Birmingham has involved managing a team of 60 who have been required to ensure the campus has remained a safe and secure place for those who need to be there throughout the crisis.

George's visible presence helped his team throughout, as he was the senior face on campus. The 59-year-old was responsible for the safety of 43,000 staff and students.

When the country went into lockdown last March, George was responsible for the close down of 210 buildings in a safe and efficient way. George was a police officer for 32 years, he has overseen security operations at the Natural History Museum.

George's planning ensured the University was able to continue to carry out critical research related to COVID-19 as well as operating laboratories to carry out testing of up to 10,000 swabs a day and supporting clinical trials related to COVID-19.

He also facilitated requests from PHE and NHS for the University to open its laboratories to assist with the rapid production of 300 litres of hand sanitiser for the local authority to distribute in social care settings and collecting chemicals for use as disinfectant in the morgue at the Nightingale Hospital.

He supported the collection and delivery of 40,000 pieces of PPE to hospitals and care homes across Birmingham. George has also overseen the welfare of 1400 vulnerable young people who were unable to leave halls of residence when lockdown started - either because they were unable to return to home country due to travel restrictions, or because they had no alternative term-time address (for example care leavers) or were self-isolating at the point at which lockdown was implemented.

He also ensured that the University was able to provide free car parking for frontline NHS staff working in the nearby hospital. As well as enabling safe access to the university's hotel which was providing beds for NHS staff during the lockdown period.