Honours for trio in New Year’s Honours list

The Queen’s New Year’s Honours list featured three people with close ties and links to Bury St Edmunds.

Dr Stephen Dunn, chief executive of West Suffolk Hospital, heaped praise on staff after being honoured with a CBE for services to health and patient safety.

Dr Dunn, who has been at the helm of WSFT for four years, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to receive this recognition but I accept it on behalf of all staff working with compassion and commitment across the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

“It is their effort and hard work that should really be honoured and I salute them for the outstanding care they provide to the west Suffolk community each and every day.”

Dr Dunn, who lives in Norton, holds a PhD in economics from the University of Leeds and is also a visiting professor at the University of the West of England.

Barbara Gale, chief executive of St Nicholas Hospice Care, has been made an MBE in recognition of her contribution to hospice care, supporting people living as carers or coping with dying and bereavement.

Dr Gale has been involved in hospice care for more than 30 years, with 11 years as the chief executive of the hospice, which supports people living with caring, dying and bereavement.

She said: “I was astounded when the letter arrived on my doorstep. I feel privileged and humbled to think that I am worthy of this award and I thank the people that took the time to nominate me. Our founder Canon Richard Norburn, who sadly died in 2017, has been my inspiration and I try to carry on his vision and ambition of what hospice care should be like for our local community.”

Dr Gale thanked the team of 180 staff and 650 volunteers, trustees and family for all their support.

Michael Bryant, 72, from Bury St Edmunds, who founded the most successful boxing club in Suffolk in 1981, was also made an MBE.

Some of the young boxers have had brushes with the law, but thanks to Eastgate Amateur Boxing Club have turned their lives around – with some even becoming professional.

He said: “I’m humbled by it. I’m very pleased to receive it but I think it’s a reflection on the club and the coaches we have here.

“We’ve got a great team of coaches and one of them – Dale Robertson – has been with me for 20-odd years. I still enjoy it and it’s a great privilege seeing the youngsters train and watching them develop. It’s not just the boxing, the training helps them with confidence, self-esteem, and gives them a focus, and it’s great to see them go into the world of work.

“Some of them come up to me when I bump into them and say, ‘if it wasn’t for boxing, I might have done something else in life’.”

Pictured above is Barbara Gale, chief executive of St Nicholas Hospice Care, who has been awarded an MBE.