Two British residents were presented honours awarded by Her Majesty The Queen in the 2017 Birthday Honours List by the British Ambassador Simon Manley.
Sylvia Tatnell, resident in Teulada-Moraira, was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for her services to British residents and the wider community in Alicante, where she was a local councillor for 25 years and Head of Social Services. Mrs Tatnell also supports local charities in the area to help the most vulnerable residents.
Annette English, resident in La Marina, was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for her services to child welfare. Mrs English has dedicated her retirement to improving the conditions of the Elche Children’s Care Home, close to where she lives.
Honours lists are published twice a year, on the Queen’s official birthday in June and at New Year, and recognise extraordinary achievement and service to the UK. Following a nomination process, an honours committee reviews all the submitted nominations. The Queen then awards the honour. In the cases of Sylvia Tatnell and Annette English, their outstanding achievements ensured they stood out amongst the many nominations received for this year’s Birthday Honours list.
Annette English said: “I feel very honoured to have received this award. Fundraising for the children keeps me active and I receive so much back from them! I want to give a special mention to my husband, Dave, without whose support none of this would have been possible. Never would I have imagined I would be receiving an award from the Queen.”
Speaking after the award ceremonies, Ambassador Simon Manley said, “I was delighted to present these two honours to Sylvia and Annette this week, for their work in Alicante. Their outstanding dedication and commitment to making others’ lives better are an inspiration. There are some 300,000 British residents in Spain, and there are many examples of how British people, like Annette and Sylvia, are working hand in hand with Spanish people in their local communities to improve the lives of others, a testimony to the strong people to people links between our two countries.”
Photo credit: Alicante Studios
