On the day of Andrew’s arrest, HM King Charles III opens London Fashion Week

https://lucire.com/insider/20260219/on-the-day-of-andrews-arrest-hm-king-charles-iii-opens-london-fashion-week/ #LFW #AW26 #HMKingCharlesIII #KingCharlesIII #ToluCoker #RTW #PÀP #fashion #mode #moda #Epstein #AndrewFormerlyKnownAsPrince #royal #royalty #BFC #LondonFashionWeek #London #England #UK

Swansea ambulance manager honoured in King’s New Year Honours as Welsh Ambulance Service staff recognised

Locality Manager Cath John, who began her career in 1995, has been awarded the King’s Ambulance Service Medal (KAM) for distinguished service. Emergency Ambulance Practitioner Nigel Jones and Operational Team Leader Dean Caldwell have both been appointed MBE for their voluntary and charitable work.

Welsh Ambulance Service Chief Executive Emma Wood said the trio represented the very best of the service.

Emma Wood said:

“We’re incredibly proud of colleagues who go that extra mile for patients and their communities. These awards recognise the hard work and dedication given by Nigel, Dean and Cath over the years.”

Swansea’s Cath John receives King’s Ambulance Service Medal

Cath, who is based in Swansea, started out in non‑emergency patient transport before qualifying as an Emergency Medical Technician in 1999 and later as a Paramedic in 2004. She spent 11 years on the frontline before moving into leadership roles, including Clinical Team Leader and Operations Manager during the Covid‑19 pandemic.

She became a Locality Manager in 2021.

Cath John said:

“I’ve been with the Welsh Ambulance Service for over 30 years and I love what I do. Working here has given me so many opportunities and allowed me to work alongside some really special and dedicated people.”

Cath, 54, only discovered she was receiving the KAM when she returned from annual leave and spotted the notification buried in her inbox.

Cath John said:

“At first I didn’t know whether it was real… it only sank in when I saw my name on the official list.”

MBE for volunteer who has helped disaster zones across the world

Emergency Ambulance Practitioner Nigel Jones, from Monmouthshire, has spent decades volunteering alongside his full‑time work — from supporting veterans and mountain rescue teams to deploying with humanitarian charity REACT in disaster‑hit regions.

His voluntary work has taken him from UK Covid Nightingale hospitals to bush fires in Australia, earthquake zones in Turkey and two deployments to Ukraine.

He was volunteering in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa when he learned he had been awarded an MBE.

Nigel Jones said:

“It was a complete surprise… I never began volunteering to get recognition, but it’s a tremendous feeling to be considered in the King’s New Year Honours.”

Nigel has also completed ten marathons for charity, raising more than £10,000.

Third honour for long‑serving community volunteer

Operational Team Leader Dean Caldwell has also been appointed MBE for decades of voluntary service across South Wales — including years with Bro Radio, the RNLI at Barry Dock, HM Coastguard Search & Rescue, and Welsh Amateur Boxing.

Dean Caldwell said:

“I am truly honoured and overwhelmed. Each role has allowed me to contribute to the wellbeing and safety of others, and I accept this MBE with immense pride.”

National praise for “the very best of Britain”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised all those recognised in this year’s list.

The Prime Minister said:

“This year’s Honours list celebrates the very best of Britain – people who put the common good ahead of themselves to strengthen communities and change lives.”

More New Year Honours stories

Carmarthen nurse ‘bowled over’ with MBE honour
A Carmarthen nurse says she is overwhelmed after being recognised in the New Year Honours.

The King and I: Mike’s MBE for volunteer service
A lifelong volunteer from South Wales reflects on receiving an MBE for community service.

Gower College Swansea employee receives MBE
A criminology specialist at Gower College Swansea is honoured for her work studying gangs.

Llanelli-born Specsavers co-founder awarded CBE
Specsavers co-founder Dame Mary Perkins is recognised with a CBE for services to business.

Alun Wyn Jones appointed Honorary Colonel of 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh

The appointment marks a new chapter for the world’s most capped rugby player, who earned 170 international caps between 2006 and 2023 and captained Wales through some of its most successful campaigns. Jones succeeds Brigadier Russ Wardle OBE DL, who held the role for over a decade.

“It is an honour for us to bring into the fold a true Welsh warrior,” said Major General Chris Barry CBE, Colonel of the Regiment. “We look forward to building a long-lasting, two-way relationship between our 3rd Battalion and Alun Wyn Jones.”

A new uniform, a familiar sense of duty

Jones, who will wear military uniform in his new role, described himself as “hugely flattered and humbled” — and “a little apprehensive” — about the responsibility. He reflected on the symbolic presence of military personnel at Welsh rugby matches and the deep historical ties between the sport and the armed forces.

“Learning more about the history of The Royal Welsh, particularly Sir Tasker Watkins, made it something I couldn’t turn down,” he said. “The uniform I’ll wear will be very different to what I’m used to, but one I’ll be equally proud to wear as any jersey in my playing career.”

The 3rd Battalion is a Reserve unit, and Jones noted his growing awareness of the role Reservists play in everyday civilian life — a theme that resonates with his own transition from elite sport to public service.

A legacy of leadership

Jones’ rugby career includes five Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams, and four Triple Crowns, along with 12 Lions caps across four tours. He was named Player of the Tournament in 2019 and twice nominated for World Player of the Year.

#AlunWynJones #ArmedForces #HMKingCharlesIII #RoyalWelsh #Rugby

98-year-old Llanelli veteran awarded British Empire Medal

Idwal was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours.

The 98-year-old has raised tens of thousands of pounds, along with other members of the Llanelli and District Hospital Friends, and has written a book about his local area – Gone but not Forgotten, which saw all funds donated to the Friends.

Mr Davies said: “The honour is something that I had never considered, but I am pleased that I will have it. I was delighted when I received the letter. I have done a lot of things for the community, but I didn’t do things like that to get a reward or something like that. I did this because I enjoy doing it.”

“I have been involved in so many things in Llanelli over the years, from the Llanelli Goods Shed project, to the local swimming club and historical society – you name it, I’ve done it. Getting the letter from the Cabinet Office about the BEM was completely out of the blue, a complete surprise, I had no idea, but I am very pleased.”

Llanelli MP, Dame Nia Griffth said she was “absolutely delighted” to see Idwal awarded the honour, saying it recognised his “unstinting contribution to Llanelli both documenting our town’s history and many hours of service to the League of Friends of Llanelli Hospital”.

#BEM #HMKingCharlesIII #KingSBirthdayHonours #Llanelli #Veterans

University professor honoured for expertise in health data innovation

Professor David Ford, professor of informatics and director of Population Data Science based in Swansea University Medical School, has been appointed OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list in recognition of his services to social science.

His work has transformed the ethical and secure use of data for the public good, both in the UK and globally, enabling interdisciplinary research at the intersection of health and social sciences. By uncovering insights into population-level trends and the social determinants of health, Professor Ford has significantly advanced understanding of how societal factors shape health outcomes, impacting social science research and evidence-informed policy.

He said: “I am both surprised and delighted to be awarded this honour.  I never for a moment thought I would be in the running for one! 

“Of course, while I am absolutely thrilled to receive it, I am very conscious that any successes associated with me over the years were only possible through the hard work and dedication of a lot of very clever colleagues. It is with them I share this award.”

Professor Ford is the co-founder and director of the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank, and the Secure e-Research Platform (SeRP), which contains billions of person-based records.  SAIL has become a trusted population databank, improving lives by providing researchers with secure, linkable and anonymised data.

In 2024 the contribution of the SAIL Databank to the harnessing of public data to improve population health and wellbeing led to Swansea University being awarded a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize.

Professor Ford is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA) and was also included in  DataIQ 100 most influential people in data and analytics for 2021.

He will receive his insignia at an investiture later this year.

#HMKingCharlesIII #KingSBirthdayHonours #OBE #Swansea #SwanseaUniversity

Llanelli-born Specsavers co-founder honoured with CBE

Specsavers was formed by Doug and his wife Dame Mary in 1984 and is now the largest private eye and hearing care provider in the world, winning global recognition for its famous ‘Should’ve Gone to Specsavers’ strapline and humorous approach to marketing.

As well as an innovative approach to pricing and advertising, Doug applied a pioneering joint-venture partnership model to the optical industry. Each Specsavers business, which now number more than 1,000 in the UK alone, is part-owned and managed by its own directors, who are shareholders, supported by a comprehensive supply chain and specialists in various support offices, providing services such as marketing, accounting and IT.

Doug has always been very much involved with the day-to-day running of the business and is passionate about innovation and clinical excellence. He spearheaded the rollout of OCT scanners in all Specsavers stores and continues to champion the role optometrists and audiologists play in supporting the NHS and delivering healthcare in the community.

“I can’t tell you how honoured I feel to receive this award for services to business as I have dedicated my entire career to helping people to see and hear more clearly. But more importantly, this is recognition for the 45,000 people around the world who work for Specsavers and for our ophthalmic surgery business Newmedica and their dedication to changing people’s lives through better sight and hearing,” he says.

“Together, we have achieved so much since we started this business more than 40 years ago from pretty humble beginnings and it’s really quite incredible that we are now offering our services to more than 48 million people, as far afield as Canada and New Zealand, and have a robust supply chain that spans the world from the UK and Europe to Asia Pacific. None of that could have been achieved without loyal, hardworking, visionary colleagues and partners.

“My wife Mary and I recognised from the very beginning, when we started the business together, that we needed to surround ourselves with people with the right skills to propel as forward if we were to achieve our goals of offering value for money and experts who truly care.”

Born in Llanelli in 1943, the son of a police sergeant and a farmer’s daughter, Doug has been industrious from a young age and had jobs as an errand boy, laundry delivery driver and assistant at a local chemist. He credited this experience as instilling in him the value of hard work and inspiring in him a passion for healthcare and retail.

Doug qualified as an optometrist from Cardiff College of Advanced Technology in 1965 where he met Mary Bebbington. Together they founded Bebbington and Perkins Opticians, which they sold in 1980 before moving to the island of Guernsey to be closer to Mary’s parents, who had retired there. Doug still goes into the Guernsey office every day and travels extensively to support business growth and the industry sector as a whole.

“I am just as passionate now as I ever was about the future of optometry, ophthalmology and audiology, as well as further opportunities and expansion of the Specsavers group, which includes our Newmedica eye hospitals in England. Improving access to expert eye and hearing care for everyone, regardless of their circumstances or where they live, has been and will continue to be our driving force and I have no intention of retiring as long as I can continue to be useful to that cause,” he says.

The company was put into a family trust some years ago to ensure that it would continue to operate under the Perkins stewardship and prevent it being sold into private equity. It remains very much a family business, with son John Perkins as CEO and four of their seven grandchildren already very much involved in the organisation.

#Business #CBE #HMKingCharlesIII #KingSBirthdayHonours #Llanelli #Specsavers

Carmarthen nurse bowled over with MBE honour

Anwen received the prestigious honour in recognition of her outstanding contribution to sport and to nursing and cancer care.

Part of the team at Glangwili Hospital, Anwen has been a pillar of support for patients and families across West Wales, combining clinical excellence with deep compassion over her distinguished 30-year career.

In addition to her clinical leadership, Anwen is also known nationally and internationally, having represented Wales in bowls since 1988. In 2022, she was named Team Wales captain for the Commonwealth Games.

“Anwen’s dedication to her patients and her profession is truly inspiring,” said Sharon Daniel, Hywel Dda University Health Board’s Executive Director of Nursing, Quality & Patient Experience. “She leads with humility, compassion and strength, and this honour is a fitting tribute to her decades of service and the lives she has touched.”

Reflecting on the award, Anwen Butten said: “I am deeply humbled to receive this honour. Nursing has been my life’s work and passion, and I’ve been privileged to care for so many incredible people. This recognition is not just for me, but for the entire Head and Neck Cancer team and the wider Hywel Dda family who support and inspire me every day.”

The Health Board say they extend their warmest congratulations to Anwen and her family on the well-deserved recognition.

#Cancer #Carmarthen #GlangwiliHospital #HeadAndNeckCancer #HMKingCharlesIII #HywelDdaUniversityHealthBoard #MBE

Swansea Bay health professionals named in King’s birthday honours

Plastic surgeon, Professor Iain Whitaker, and Lymphoedema nurse, Karen Morgan, have been award The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Medal of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) respectively.

Professor Iain Whitaker is an honorary consultant plastic surgeon at the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery at Morriston Hospital.

Karen Morgan is the National Lymphoedema Education and Research Lead at Lymphoedema Wales, based in Cimla Hospital.

The King’s Birthday Honours list recognises the achievements and service of people across the UK, from all walks of life.

Professor Whitaker, who also holds the Chair of Plastic Surgery in Swansea University Medical School, was appointed OBE in recognition of his services to plastic surgery (clinical, research and training).

He said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this award and am thankful for the recognition for more than 20 years of work within the specialty of plastic surgery.

“I would like to thank all those involved in my nomination and acknowledge that this is also a reflection of the achievements and contributions of the organisations, communities and individuals that I work with.

“My aim has been to work tirelessly to investigate ways to improve patient care, whilst building a multidisciplinary team and inspiring the brightest and the best surgeons in training to come to Wales and raise the profile of the nation.”

Karen Morgan was awarded the honour for services to lymphoedema care.

She said: “I was and still am very shocked and emotional about receiving the notification about this prestigious award.

“I have worked within SBUHB since I first qualified as a nurse in 1989 and as you know the National Lymphoedema Team are hosted by the health board.

“I am very proud of the health board so to raise its profile and that of Lymphoedema Wales Clinical Network (LWCN) is amazing.”

Swansea Bay University Health Board Chief Executive, Abigail Harris congratulated the pair.

She said: “I would like to congratulate Professor Whitaker and Karen Morgan for their inclusion in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours list.

“They have both been recognised for excellence in their chosen fields and humbly acknowledge the support of their colleagues in achieving such regal recognition.  

“It’s always pleasing to see talented and dedicated clinicians being able to flourish here in Swansea Bay as it not only offers encouragement to others but reassures our patients that they are in the best of hands.”

Health board Chair, Jan Williams, added: “I would like to add my warmest congratulation to Karen and Iain for their much deserved honours.

“It’s always a joy to see the efforts of our staff being recognised on a national level.

“It’s particularly nice to see them recognise the contribution of their colleagues as we all know that we are blessed in Swansea Bay to have such a hardworking, dedicated workforce.”

#BEM #Cimla #CimlaHospital #HMKingCharlesIII #KingSBirthdayHonours #MorristonHospital #OBE #SwanseaBayUniversityHealthBoard

UK’s longest-serving bus driver gets royal recognition

77-year-old Kenny, who works for bus firm First Cymru has been in the bus industry for nearly 60 years. He joined his wife Linda for the memorable day at Buckingham Palace in recognition of his dedication to buses.

As well as enjoying the beautiful surroundings of the palace gardens, they also tucked into a royal tea and caught glimpses of the King and Queen, as well as other members of the Royal Family.

The Swansea-born grandfather started his bus career at the age of 18, after leaving Llamsamlet Secondary Modern School, when he became a bus conductor after just two days training for what was then called South Wales Transport. Fast forward three years, to November 1969, when he was legally allowed to drive a bus at the age of 21.

The former printer and tyre fitter fondly remembers his early years as a driver when he started at the Brunswick Street depot in Swansea before moving to the city’s Ravenhill depot, saying: “It was great being a driver in 1969. We had so many routes and carried so many passengers, including lots from all the factories, the collieries and British Steel at Port Talbot, but, of course, all that declined in the 1980s.   

“I also remember we had double deckers back then, but passengers were only allowed to smoke on the top deck. Upstairs was like a mist. All the factory girls and everybody else was up there smoking, it was unbelievable.”

While Kenny, who is married with four children and eight grandchildren, has worked for five different companies over his transport career, mainly because of takeovers and management buy-outs, he says he is proud to have continued working in the same place and in the same role.

Now in semi-retirement, Kenny’s two days a week driving is a far cry from when he started in the 1960s, working six days a week on the equivalent of £38 per month. And he puts his long career in the bus industry down to his supportive wife, Linda, whom he says “played an important part in me being able to work on the buses for so long, as she was often left to look after our four children alone for long periods of time.”

#BuckinghamPalace #busDriver #FirstCymru #HMKingCharlesIII #Sandfields #Swansea

Bluestone Resort wins Kings Award for its sustainable development

Eight Welsh businesses across a range of different sectors have been recognized by His Majesty The King as among the best in the country, highlighting the ambition, ingenuity, and success of our diverse business community.

The businesses awarded cover a variety of sectors including industrial lasers, medical equipment, and baking, and are based around the country, from Wrexham to Bridgend and Welshpool.

One Welsh company was awarded for their innovative practices, five for their achievements in international trade and one for their sustainable development.

Gareth Thomas, Minister for Services, Small Businesses and Exports said: “There are some excellent Welsh businesses recognised in this year’s King’s Awards for Enterprise: from Spectrum Technologies’ pioneering laser equipment to Bluestone Resort’s commitment to environmental responsibility.

“I wish the winners every success as they continue to grow, innovate and prosper, and commend the invaluable contributions they have already made to communities at home in Wales and abroad, helping to boost the UK economy.”

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: “I congratulate all eight Welsh businesses who have won awards. From baking to medical devices to sustainable holidays, their work shows the best of business right across Wales, producing and exporting high quality products and services.

“By working with talented Welsh enterprises to create well-paid local jobs and economic growth, the UK Government is delivering on its Plan for Change.”

Bluestone Resort is situated in the heart of the Pembrokeshire countryside. The park has been designed to reconnect families with nature in a responsible fashion, and as such they have received an award in the Sustainable Development category. 

William McNamara OBE, CEO and Founder of Bluestone, said:  “Receiving the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development is a hugely exciting and rewarding milestone for everyone at Bluestone National Park Resort in Pembrokeshire.  

“Our ethos is centered on the three pillars of sustainable development: actively protecting natural ecosystems, growing the local economy and supporting local communities. This has become our operational blueprint. The King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development gives us many reasons to celebrate, recognising the importance of our work as we continue to protect our planet for future generations.” 

The King’s Awards for Enterprise were previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise and were renamed two years ago to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II by recognising outstanding UK businesses. The Award programme, now in its 59th year, has awarded over 8,000 companies since its inception in 1965.

His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenants – the King’s representatives in each county – will be presenting the Awards to businesses locally throughout the year. One representative from each winning business will also be invited to a special royal reception event.

Richard Harris, Head of Trade at the Welsh Government and a judge on this year’s panel commented: “It’s an absolute privilege to represent Wales as a judge on the Kings Awards and reviewing and appraising the applications which seem to grow in quality year on year never fails to impress.

“The Kings Award is the gold standard, it means something, for me it’s the benchmark award for quality that can literally open doors and start conversations across the world, enabling companies to access opportunities that ordinarily might not be available and win business.”

The full list of Welsh winners

Innovation

Stashed Products Limited, Powys
Stashed Products designs and manufactures innovative, space saving bike storage systems for every bike.

International Trade

Brand Hatchers Ltd, West Glamorgan
International consumer brand owner, with proven market entry strategy, successful in over 35 countries.

Frontier Therapeutics Limited, Gwent
A global leader in pressure ulcer devices, improving patient care through innovation in 34 countries.

Invertek Drives Ltd, Powys
Invertek manufactures innovative variable frequency drives, to support global industries with efficient motor control solutions.

Spectrum Technologies Ltd, Mid Glamorgan
Global leader in the supply of industrial laser wire-processing equipment to the aerospace industry.

The Village Bakery Wrexham, Clwyd
Supplier of premium bakery and morning goods products to retailers and foodservice partners globally.

Sustainable Development

Bluestone Resorts Limited, Dyfed
The UK’s most sustainable holiday park. Designed to reconnect families with nature, responsibly.

BOF Group Limited, Mid Glamorgan
We create inspiring ‘sustainable workspaces’ for the wellbeing of people and the planet.

#BluestoneResort #Business #HMKingCharlesIII #KingSAwardsForEnterprise #Pembrokeshire