Queen’s Birthday Honours: Former firefighter, RNID volunteer and cricketer named

Whitehead man Noel McKee receives the OBE for services to charity in Northern Ireland in the Birthday Honours list.

A champion of many good causes, the OBE follows the MBE the counsellor and former firefighter was awarded 20 years ago.

Over the years Noel has helped to raise more than £1million for charities including NI Cancer Fund for Children, Chest Heart & Stroke, MindWise, Hope House and the Firefighters’ Charity.

Noel said: “It was a shock five weeks ago when the letter arrived. It is very nice. There’s a massive team behind this. I am just a man of ideas, but they are nothing more until people come in and help.”

Professor Gillian Armstrong, Professor of Business Education and director, Business Engagement Unit, Ulster University, receives the MBE for services to higher education and business.

Newtownabbey resident Hilary Lewis receives the MBE for services to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People and the health and social care sector in Northern Ireland.

Hilary has severe hearing loss and started volunteering for RNID in 2010. She has contributed more than 500 hours in a variety of volunteering roles, including delivering deaf awareness sessions at schools, carrying out numerous home visits to people needing support with hearing aids, and building relationships with community groups to raise awareness of hearing loss.

Hilary was instrumental to the charity during the pandemic, researching all the care homes in her community so RNID could reach out and support residents with hearing loss.

Mrs Lewis said: “I feel this award is really for RNID and the fantastic work they do. I’m honoured that they chose me to receive it, and I’m pleased that I’ve been able to support this amazing charity so much over the years by volunteering for so many different projects.”

Mark Atkinson, chief executive of RNID, said: “We’re thrilled that Hilary has been recognised in the Queen’s honours in this way, particularly in this jubilee year. Volunteers like Hilary are invaluable to our charity, using their skills and their own experience of hearing loss to raise awareness in their local community.”

Also named on the Birthday Honours list is John Degnan, manager and chief fundraiser, Eilish Degnan Children’s Foundation, which is based at Kilroot Business Park, Carrickfergus. He receives the BEM for services to patients and their families at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.

Ballyclare resident Andy McCrea is granted the BEM for services to cricket and to young people in Northern Ireland.

He is a long-time player, coach, committee member at Templepatrick Cricket Club and has been cricket development officer and also club treasurer for many years.

The former Ballyclare High School pupil was responsible for setting up and growing the club’s youth system, which has been a massive success, now catering for around 200 young people.

Mr McCrea, a teacher at Campbell College, said: “I’m surprised to have received the BEM. I have been involved with the club for 30 years and a lot of people have worked hard at the club, including club president Arthur Bowron, who received the BEM in 2018.

“Everyone’s hard work over the years has helped the club go from strength to strength.

“I’d like to thank my wife and family for the support they have given me over the years. Cricket takes up a lot of my time and they have been very supportive.

“I’d also like to thank everyone who I have worked with over the years in various cricket circles. I am still learning from other coaches and it is good to share knowledge.

“I don’t know who nominated me for the accolade, so to whoever it was, thank you. I am very appreciative. Cricket has been very good to me.”

Congratulating Mr McCrea, club chairman John Busby said: “This award is very much deserved. Andy has been the main driving force behind the growth of Templepatrick Cricket Club for over 30 years.

“His hard work and dedication, establishing and growing our now thriving youth coaching programme, has been key in the club’s progression. He has given up thousands of hours of his own time to provide quality sporting opportunities for many young people throughout the country, encouraging them to enjoy the game of cricket and working with them to develop their cricket and personal skills.

“Despite having a busy professional and family life, he has worked tirelessly for all these years - both within TCC and across the community, as well as with the NCU and Cricket Ireland - coaching young players and mentoring new coaches, giving them the tools required to help develop future generations of cricketers at all levels.

“This is deserved recognition for someone who has given so much of their life to the promotion of cricket and the development of young cricketers and young people. I know that everyone at TCC, and in the wider cricket community, will be delighted for Andy and his family.”

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