Parish councillor gets British Empire Medal for dedicated work in Barford, Sherbourne and Wasperton

Villagers, friends and family attended a special reception at Barford Memorial Hall where Lord Lieutenant Timothy Cox presented John Murphy - the chairman of the joint parish council of Barford, Sherbourne and Wasperton - with a British Empire Medal (BEM).

In presenting the honour as commanded by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Lord Lieutenant congratulated Cllr Murphy on his years of dedicated commitment to the communities of Barford, Sherbourne and Wasperton.

He recognised John’s important role as the parish council’s chairman, an office he has held for more than 20 years.

He said: “This community owes so much to John as a hard working and committed member of the public who has dedicated much of his life to improving the village.

“His role in the Barford bypass project and the King George’s Field project stand out amongst the huge list of issues that he tackles on a daily basis.

“If he’s not chairing committees and attending meetings he is often seen around the village doing odd jobs, clearing ditches, leaves and rubbish and generally making Barford a better place to live for everyone.

These awards are rare with approximately 300 given in the Queen’s birthday honours and only three in Warwickshire so we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to John for his dedication to these three villages.

“I am proud to present John with this award on behalf of Her Majesty”.

In accepting his award, Cllr Murphy said: “I am delighted and very proud to accept this award. I love doing what I do in our community and improving our villages for future generations.”