Causeway Coast and Glens people mentioned in the King's Birthday Honours List

Receiving the British Empire Medal (BEM) is Mrs Adele Leona Elder, area catering manager for the Education Authority.

Mrs Elder, from Ballymoney, receives her award for services to education and to charity in the Causeway Coast & Glens area.

She has worked for the Education Authority since 2015, firstly as Area Catering Supervisor progressing to the role of Area Catering Manager for Belfast. Throughout the Covid lockdowns, she dedicated herself to ensure services were organised efficiently, ensuring that meals were provided in dedicated hubs for children identified as in need.

She also organised the production and delivery of emergency food boxes to families in need. Mrs Elder was also heavily involved in the coordination of a lunch service to the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) from April to June 2020 and travelled at least twice a week from Ballymoney to be involved in the assembly of 700 lunches per day from Fort Hill School, Lisburn.

The NIAS distributed these meals to ambulance crews across Northern Ireland during the crisis. Throughout this time, she faced numerous obstacles in providing meals to children, such as staff and transportation shortages due to the impact of the pandemic on resources.

Her citation read: “At all times, she found solutions to the problems through her drive and determination to ensure that no child remained hungry on any day during this time.”

Also receiving the BEM is Miss Phyllis Michael from Portstewart for services to Girlguiding Ulster and the community in County Londonderry.

She has been actively involved in and dedicated almost 60 years to Girlguiding Ulster, undertaking several roles during this time. Her commitment to volunteering began in 1964 when she took up the role of Assistant Leader with 2nd Ballyclare Guide Unit. Throughout the years she has been a District Commissioner, County Commissioner and is currently a County President.

It was her enthusiasm and passion for camping that led to her being key in the purchase of a County Campsite more than 12 years ago when she was actively involved in sourcing funding. She dedicated much of her time to ensuring that the site is up to the required standard for Guiding today and she continues to ensure that the site is managed successfully.

Her dedication to Guiding has seen her receive the Laurel Award for Outstanding Service as well as her 30, 40 and 50 year long Service Awards. She has also proven to be a very supportive member of the Trefoil Guild, making sure that members who do not drive are able to get to meetings, and outside of that is always willing to take people to hospital appointments and prepare meals as necessary.

Miss Michael’s commitment to volunteering has also benefitted the wider community following her involvement in the Portstewart Music Festival (PMF). Once again, her initiative and organisational skills were relied upon during the Covid-19 pandemic when she was able to secure a new venue which would enable all three sections of the festival to proceed post-pandemic.

She plays a significant role with the Speech & Drama section, regularly communicating with a number of groups and collaborating with volunteers to ensure the smooth operation of the festival during its three week course.

She has also been hugely supportive of the work of Save the Children for over 20 years and has volunteered in a local community shop on a regular basis since retiring from her job at a bank.

Ballycastle man and principal of Roddensvale School in Larne, John Madden, receives the MBE for services to education and to children with Special Educational Needs.

He transformed Roddensvale School in his 21 years as Principal, increasing pupil numbers from 68 children to 226 children during his time at the school. Roddensvale is now a centre of excellence in special education in Northern Ireland (NI) due to measures he introduced.

Mr Madden’s citation reads: “He exceeded the responsibilities of his position by providing leadership and support for leaders of all NI Special Education schools as the voluntary Chair of the Strategic Leadership Group of Special Schools Principals. He used his experience, knowledge and understanding of the challenges faced by children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) to lead special school leaders in working together on strategic issues, which is vital to pupils in all NI special schools.”

He led his team to become the first NI school to achieve the Bronze Attachment and Trauma Sensitive School Award followed by the Silver Award (December 2020). He visits sick pupils in hospital, providing vital support to the family outside of school hours. During Covid he kept the school, including outside areas, open to assist the most vulnerable children.

He led a 15 year campaign to build a hydrotherapy pool which was opened in 2018 and has been relentless in securing a ‘masterplan’ for the continued expansion of the school building to include three minor works schemes and a £4 million building. He manages a ‘satellite arrangement’ with a local school until the classroom expansion to Roddensvale School is complete to accommodate all children with a SEN.

Mr Madden knows every child and their families and can be found in a classroom assisting a teacher or playing with children. He is trustee and Chairperson of the Roddensvale Parents and Friends Association which raises over £10,000 annually to support pupils. He is a cyclist and organises annual fundraising events (eg Hilly 100, a cycling event raising over £3000 annually).

Also receiving honours from King Charles are Robert Ernest Bailie of Coleraine who has been made a CBE for services to the economy and opera in NI; Dr John David McKeown, Ballymoney veterinary surgeon, who becomes an officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to the veterinary profession and William Henry King of Coleraine who receives the BEM for public service in NI.