Page 37 - Real Rochdale Issue 15 Autumn 2022

Queen’s birthday honours for incredible four Brian Morton BEM

Humera Haqqani, Catherine Connolly and Pamela Scarry have been named Members of the Brian Morton received The British Empire
British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for their outstanding achievements and Medal (BEM), for services to the community
services, whilst Brian Morton has been granted The British Empire Medal. in Milnrow and Newhey during Covid-19.
During lockdown, Brian worked up to 14
Pamela Scarry MBE hours daily as a local delivery driver.

Pamela Scarry is the Head of Development, Known for his community spirit and support,
Continuous Improvement Service at HM Brian gave his contact details to all elderly
Revenue and Customs. She received her and vulnerable residents so they could
MBE for public service. contact him for support if they were
struggling.

Pam, of Newhey, led a team of around 80
people who were responsible for creating the Humera Haqqani MBE Within days, he was running all sorts of
Government’s covid schemes including the errands for the vulnerable.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) Humera Haqqani is the managing director of
and the Self-Employment Income Support Let’s Talk, a Rochdale charity offering a To lift morale, he gave out little wooden
Scheme (SEISS). ‘wrap-around’ mental health service. She pocket ‘hugs’ to those who were lonely, to
received her MBE for services to business give them hope and remind them they are not
Pam and members of her team also and the community. alone.
volunteered to help deliver the NHS
vaccination programme, and she vaccinated Catherine Connolly MBE Humera moved to Rochdale in 1999 from the He said: “I feel very proud and honoured to
people and stewarded at venues around Netherlands: she now runs an annual event have received this, but I don’t feel like what I
Greater Manchester. to help new migrants integrate. She hosts a did was any bigger than what everyone else
Catherine ‘Kate’ Connolly is the headteacher was doing.”
at Brownhill Learning Community which community radio show in Urdu, which
She said: “I’m proud, privileged and honoured encouraged hundreds of listeners to get
to receive the MBE. You do things in a provides educational provision for pupils who vaccinated against Covid, and helped All this work was carried out by him
community and in work because it’s what you are out of mainstream schools for a variety organise virtual Islamic burial prayers during voluntarily, motivated by his care for those
do. For someone to nominate you is beyond of reasons (including exclusion, emotional lockdown. who are worse off.
words; you think ‘wow!’” and behavioural difficulties, medical reasons,
pregnancy and young mothers).
Since 2015, qualified driving instructor
Humera has offered free driving lessons to
She received her MBE for services to the victims of domestic abuse who cannot afford
education of disadvantaged and vulnerable
children and young people. to pay.
Humera said: “I was very surprised and
Mrs Connolly said: “I feel very honoured and
proud to be a recipient of the MBE. shocked. I’m just doing my duty as a human
and I hope to be able to give more of my time
like this.”
“I have had an amazing 38 years working in
education, firstly in Manchester and for the She also runs weekly free courses, a soup
last 21 years in Rochdale.
kitchen, drop-in sessions for the over 55s,
a drop-in women’s club, a girls’ youth club
“The children and families at Brownhill are
incredible to work with and inspire me every and general drop-in sessions for domestic
day to do the best I can. It has been a real violence victims or potential forced marriage
victims.
pleasure to lead such a dedicated and
hardworking staff team especially through She also arranges a drop-in medical health
the challenges of the last two years. They are
the ones who deserve to be honoured.” check event, and has organised donation
collections for international asylum camps.

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