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It’s a special
New Year for
delighted Lorna
A woman from Coningsby has found herself on the New Year’s Honours list and is set to be awarded the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Jean Lorna Curtis, known locally as Lorna, is one of 13 people in the county to appear on the honours list and is part of a group of seven to be awarded a BEM.
Lorna is receiving the award for services to the local community in Coningsby, and was nominated by members of the public.
She is the secretary for the village hall, runs the Luncheon Club and is property steward for the Methodist Church.
Lorna, aged 63, said: “I’m so pleased to be awarded it but the hardest part has been keeping it all a secret.”
She received a letter towards the end of November which was labelled ‘strictly confidential’.
Lorna added: “I received this letter and opened it and it said that I was being awarded the medal.
“I read it through three times and I thought it was a wind-up.
“My husband told me it was serious. I think he’d been let in on it.
“It was the hardest secret I’ve ever had to keep.”
Lorna admitted she had let her children know but she was embargoed from letting the information become public knowledge until 00:01 on Saturday, December 29.
Lorna is married to District Councillor Ray Curtis, and has been involved in a number of different groups since she moved to the village 40 years ago.
She explained: “I’m very involved in the Luncheon Club.
“I’ve been part of it for 25 years now.
“We cook every Wednesday and I’ve been cooking for 17 years, serving about 100 people every week.
“I’m secretary of the village hall and I’ve been on the hall committee for 33 years.”
Lorna organises the Wednesday Luncheon Club for senior citizens and was given the Rickard Cup for her work with the group in 2007.
The Rickard Cup is given to a person or organisation who Coningsby Parish Council believes has contributed the most to the community.
“I don’t work on the Luncheon Club by myself though,” Lorna added.
“There is a fantastic team of 30 of us who work on a four week rota.
“There are five or six ladies taking part each week. They are wonderful
“They say I’m the captain but I believe a captain can’t function without their crew.”
Lorna also said that the village has certainly changed since she moved to Coningsby.
She said: “There wasn’t the village hall we are in now,
“The Methodist Church was only opened five years ago and I am the property steward for the church.”
Lorna will be awarded the BEM by Lincolnshire’s Lord Lieutenant, a representative of the Crown for the county.
She will also be invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace as part of the celebrations.
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Weather for Horncastle
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 5 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 25 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North west
