Michael Howard visiting Sittingbourne in 2005

by KM Reporters

Former Tory leader Michael Howard is among Kent's great and good honoured with a gong in the Queen's birthday honours today.

The former Folkestone and Hythe MP is given an Order of the Companions of Honour in the annual awards.

Lord Howard, 69, said: "It's a great privilege and a great honour. I appreciate it very much.

"it is an enormous privilege and a great honour…” – cllr rodney chambers

"I think the honours list is a very good way of recognising people far more worthy than I am and I'm a strong supporter of it."

Lord Howard was a Member of Parliament for Folkestone and Hythe for 27 years.

He was also a government minister for 12 years and leader of the Conservative opposition for two. He now sits in the House of Lords.

Lord Howard added: "I will look back on it with some pride as recognition of the years of service I've tried to give, both to my constituents in Kent and when I've been privileged enough to hold positions in government, to the country at large."

Lord Lieutenant of Kent Allan Willett is also given a major honour - being awarded the Royal Victorian Order.

Among his many public roles Mr Willett has been a director of Locate in Kent, the East Kent Enterprise Agency and chairman of the East Kent Initiative and Forum.

In the early 1990s he was the founding chairman of the Industrial Development Board for London and the South East, and in 1998 he helped set up the Regional Development Agency for the South East of England (SEEDA).

Medway council's leader, Rodney Chambers is given an OBE for services to local government.

Cllr Chambers said: "It is an enormous privilege and a great honour to serve and represent the people of Medway as a local politician.

"I am extremely pleased and very proud to be honoured by the Queen for this in her birthday honours list.

"I have been a local politician since the 1970s and leader for 11 years.

"During my time, there has been an enormous amount of change in Medway, including our ongoing regeneration scheme, which started as a result of the closure of the dockyard and other manufacturing industries during the 1980s and continues apace with work starting in the past few weeks on Rochester Riverside.

"These changes - and in particular Medway's regeneration work - are a result of close partnership working between the council and many other public and private organisations as well as many individuals.

apple farmer is good to the core

apple and pear farmer robert mitchell, 52, from sevenoaks, is another awarded an mbe for his services to young people.

the fruit grower became a volunteer with corcordia, a charity which promotes international youth exchange in over more than countries, helping the foreign workers who picked the fruit on his farm.

he said: "it's a huge honour to be recognised in this way. it'll be an exciting learning curve for me.

"i'm just a farmer and any recognition comes from apples but this is completely different."

speaking about his work for concordia, robert said: "i travelled through eastern europe, poland, russia, bulgaria and romania - many of those places are poorer than us.

“the thrill for me was to see young students we had helped and visit them back home. one person used the money he earned to build a brand new house for his disabled mother."

"I fully believe I have received this honour from Her Majesty for services to local government because of the support all these have given to myself and Medway.

"On a more personal note, I owe much to my wife Diane, sometimes my harshest critic - but also my greatest and strongest supporter.

"Although much has been achieved, there is still much to do and I look forward to my years ahead serving Medway and working with our partners to bring prosperity and further opportunity for its residents."

Among the community workers and volunteers honoured are Charles Jacob, given a CBE for charitable services, and Derrick Lovell, of Sittingbourne, for voluntary services to archery.

Another to get the honour was Bill Ferris, chief executive of Chatham's Historic Dockyard Trust.

The Historic Dockyard boss received an OBE for his services to heritage and says he was surprised and very proud to receive it.

Mr Ferris, 53, said: "This obviously reflects the things being achieved here at the Historic Dockyard by the wonderful team that I have the privilege to lead.

"It is, I suspect, also recognising my voluntary work as Chairman of The Association of Independent Museums - a national organisation with 900 members."

Mr Ferris has been working at the trust for just over 10 years and thinks one of the key achievements he's made is helping to develop the site's business strategy.

"i think the honours list is a very good way of recognising people…” – lord howard

He added: "The key achievement has been the business strategy of Preservation Through Re-use that has created the amazing community of 112 homes, 142 businesses and 150,000 visitors a year here at the heart of Medway.

"The dockyard has, through its amazing team of staff and volunteers, become a model for heritage led regeneration.

"Although still having some way to go to become financially sustainable things are really moving the right way and that's being recognised.

"Many people are involved in initiatives like Armed Forces Day which have helped to raise our profile locally and nationally, if I've contributed to that I'm extremely proud to have done so.

"The main thing is that The Historic Dockyard's heritage is now more secure and better known - that's important."

kent's birthday honours in full

Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)

The Rt Hon Michael Howard Of Lympne. Baron. For public and political services.

Royal Victorian Order (CVO)

Allan Robert Willett, CMG. Lord-Lieutenant of Kent.

DBE

Ruth Carnall, CBE. Chief executive, London Strategic Health Authority. For services to the NHS.

CBE

Charles William Jacob, MBE. For charitable services. (Kent)

Professor Jan Pahl. For services to Social Science.

Andrew Charles Stott. Formerly director, Transparency and Digital Engagement, Cabinet Office.

OBE

Geraldine Marion (Jodi) Berg. For public service.

Rodney Chambers. Leader, Medway Council. For services to Local Government.

Brig William Ian Cotter Dobbie. General-secretary, Council of Voluntary Welfare Workers. For services to the Armed Forces.

William Stephen Ferris. Chief executive, Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust. For services to Heritage. (Headcorn, Kent)

Lt Col Conrad St John Graham, TD, DL. For voluntary service to SSAFA Forces Help in London. (Bromley, Kent)

Douglas Kirkpatrick. Grade B1, Ministry of Defence. (Sevenoaks, Kent)

Professor Audrey Margarete Paterson. Director of Professional Policy, Society of Radiographers. For services to Healthcare. (Herne Bay, Kent)

Jenny Talbot. Programme manager, No One Knows, Prison Reform Trust. For services to People with Special Needs. (Faversham, Kent)

MBE

Frederick Arthur Booth. For services to Wildlife Conservation in Kent. (Maidstone, Kent)

Gurcharan Singh Dhesi. Sergeant, Metropolitan Police Special Constabulary. For services to the Police. (Kent)

Sue Groves. Interventions Caseworker, Small Medium Enterprise Team, London, HM Revenue and Customs. (Chatham)

Parvinder Singh Lalli. Executive Officer, Jobcentre Plus, Department for Work and Pensions. (Gravesend)

Derrick Lovell. For voluntary service to Archery. (Sittingbourne, Kent)

Michael William Macey. For services to Music and to the community in Welling. (Welling, Kent)

Sqn Ldr Kevin Mehmet. For voluntary service to the City of London Corporation and to Young People in South East London. (Chislehurst, Kent)

Professor Lesley Millar. Professor of Textiles, University for the Creative Arts. For services to Higher Education. (Cranbrook, Kent)

Robert Henry McClure Mitchell. Formerly chairman, Board of Trustees, Concordia, East Sussex. For services to Young People. (Sevenoaks, Kent)

Arthur Brian Payne. Administrative Officer, Enquiry Unit, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. (Bexleyheath, Kent)

Andrew Roberts. Formerly Sector manager, East Kent, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Department for Transport. (Deal, Kent)

Anne Elizabeth Wade. For services to the community in Rochester. (Rochester, Kent)

Diana Emmerson Wharton. Practice Nurse, Ministry of Defence. (Kent)