Linda receives MBE for working with young offenders

THE head of children’s social care in West Somerset, Linda Barnett, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List.
Linda Barnett (pictured) began her career in social services in the London borough of Haringey in 1972 and has since worked briefly in education and probation, and has managed Somerset’s Youth Offending Team and since 2004.
After five years managing children’s services across Taunton and West Somerset, she set up and managed Somerset’s first multi-agency Youth Offending Team, which has a national reputation for leading the field in restorative justice in schools, parenting work, mentoring (the PROMISE Mentor Scheme) and running successful panels where local people support community-based referral orders and youth inclusion panels.
Mrs Barnett said: “It is a great honour and tribute to all the hard work that has been done through the Youth Offending Team and partner agencies working to achieve the very best outcomes for children and young people.
“The most rewarding part of all has been meeting and working with young people in Somerset themselves, and experiencing with them how they have been able to turn their lives around.“
Mrs Barnett is married with two children, Vayla, who recently graduated from Manchester University, and Dominic, who is at the University of Kent, in Canterbury.
She will officially receive her MBE in a formal ceremony to be held at Buckingham Palace later this year.
Photo submitted.

MBE for work to support charity and sport in West Somerset

A WEST Somerset man has been recognised for his community service with an award in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
An MBE goes to Ivan Jones (pictured), of Minehead, for his services to charity and sport in the district.
Mr Jones is currently the chairman of the Rotary Club of Minehead, and he is also a past-president of the rotary club, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary year.
As a Rotarian, Mr Jones helps to organise the annual Swimathon charity fund-raising event and also many other activities to support local good causes.
In sporting circles, Mr Jones is treasurer of Minehead Cricket Club, which has been enjoying great success on the playing field during recent years, and also secretary of the annual Beacon to Beach fun run which raises money for charities.
In business, he is well-known in the town for his men’s outfitters shop, Harvey Jones, in Park Street.
Orders of the British Empire were created 90 years ago by King George V during the First World War as a way to reward services to the war effort by civilians at home and servicemen in support positions.
Today, they are usually awarded to civilians and Service personnel for public service or other distinctions, and have a military and a civil division.

Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref TCPIJ0013. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbmtp.co.uk.