STALWARTS of Cumbrian community life have been recognised in the New Year Honours.

Those receiving accolades include people who have devoted their lives to charity, the arts, education and mountain rescue services.

Among them are 82-year-old Keith Buckler, of Windermere, who receives the MBE for his services to the New English Orchestra and to charity through Rotary in Grange-over-Sands and 75-year-old Patricia Burns, a governor at Appleby Grammar school who is awarded the British Empire Medal for services to education.

For more than 51 years, Mr Buckler has been committed to supporting overseas Christian charities as a volunteer. Since 1973 he has been a member and medical adviser to the charity, the British Council for European Christian Mission and its chairman since 1986.

He was also chairman of ECM International from 1995 to 1999. Since 2001 he has been a voluntary medical worker in Nicaragua with the Peace and Hope Trust Charity.

Since 1998 he has been a member of the Grange-Over-Sands Rotary Club and was its Chair from 2002 to 2003 and 2007 to 2008.

For many years, he has been a member of the Cumbria and Lancashire Rotary District International Committee promoting International assistance where needed. Since 1979 he has been a fundraiser and supporter of the New English Orchestra charity and has accumulated many charitable gifts which has sustained the orchestra's development in a major way.

Since 1997 he has been a member of the PCC of St Mary's Allithwaite and an active lay reader in the Cartmel Peninsula Team Ministry taking in nine different churches. Since 2000 he has been president of the Grange and District Churches Together Planning Group and its treasurer for six years.

A Staff Governor at Appleby Grammar School has been rewarded with a British Empire Medal for her services to education.

Patricia Burns has worked at Appleby Grammar School, Cumbria in a range of roles for 35 years. Additionally, she has been a school governor for the last 14 years. While working at the school she has become renowned for the support she has given to students, parents and staff. Appleby Grammar School is in a rural area and her commitment to the school has proved a lynchpin to the local community.

As senior midday supervisor, she leads a team of ladies in supervising over 600 students, ensuring that all students feel safe and that all have a point of personal contact to whom they can refer.

For the last 17 years she has also been a highly respected and dedicated member of the Learning Support Team. Her commitment to the school, students and staff for 35 years has been remarkable and she has made major contributions to the development of the school.

A Settle businessman who fought for justice for the Hillsborough victims has been awarded a CBE.

Trevor Hicks, whose daughters Sarah, 19, and Victoria, 15, were among the 96 people who lost their lives in the 1989 disaster, received the honour for his work as president of the Hillsborough Family Support Group.

He and other relatives of victims have campaigned vigorously over the years.

Two long-serving mountain rescue volunteers and a veteran mountaineer have also been recognised in the New Year Honours.

Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team member John Graham was appointed an MBE, as was Anthony ‘Rob’ Robinson of the Coniston team and mountaineer Bob Pettigrew.

Mr Graham of Ambleside received his award for services to the team. He was a founder member and accomplished climber.

Former Coniston MRT team leader Rob Robinson was honoured for services to mountain rescue and the community in Coniston.

Another Cumbrian to be rocognised is Colonel (Retired) Christopher Sanderson, who will receive an OBE in the Diplomatic and Overseas section for services to human rights, conflict prevention and the international private security industry.

Chris, originally from Ambleside but now living in Seldom Seen, Penrith, was commissioned into the Intelligence Corps from Sandhurst is 1975 and went on to be deployed in Iraq, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Germany, Cyprus and Hong Kong.

After being awarded an MBE in 1991, Chris went on to join a leading international risk and security consultancy, Control Risks, where he has been responsible for the provision of risk and armed security support to governments operating in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and Libya.

Perhaps his crowning achievement is that he is the founding member and first Chairman of the trade association for UK private security companies.

He was recently elected as a Board Director of the Geneva-based International Code of Conduct Association, promoting professionalism and respect for human rights in the armed security industry around the world.

He said: "I am deeply honoured and delighted that work in this field has been acknowledged.  I pay tribute to my colleagues across the industry and government who are also working hard to raise standards in the global private security industry."

Elsewhere, Chief Superintendent Jon Ward, from Grange-over-Sands but now works for Merseyside Police, received the Queen's Police Medal.

He said: "It is a real honour to have received the Queens Police Medal and at the same time it is extremely humbling.

"I could not have achieved it without the help of the many colleagues and partners from other agencies I have worked with over the years and most notably the support of the communities where I have had the honour to serve."

Also honoured are:

• Ian Clinton of Kendal, lately Principal of Blackburn College, received an OBE for services to further education.

• Forensic pathologist Dr William Lawler, of Penrith, is appointed OBE for services to the police and criminal justice system.

• Margrit Wendy Scott, of Keswick, President of the Association for the Professional Development of Early Years Educators, received an OBE for services to education.

• Neil Dennis Baldwin, of St. Bees, received an MBE for services to the nuclear industry, particularly Civil Nuclear Engineering and Decommissioning.

• Professor Elizabeth Margaret Beaty of Penrith, Emeritus Professor and lately Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Cumbria, received an MBE for services to higher education.

• Arthur Capstick, of Kendal, received an MBE for services to education and to the community in Staveley and Kendal. Mr Capstick is Chairman of Staveley and Ings Parish Council and served as head teacher of Lakes School, Troutbeck Bridge, for 12 years.

• Janice Davinson of Penrith, lately organiser of Cumbria Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, received an MBE for services to farming and rural communities in Cumbria.

• Karen-Marie Horn, of Arlecdon, Higher Executive Officer at the Ministry of Defence, received an MBE for services to the armed forces and service families.

• Tiffany Hunt received an MBE for services to heritage in North West England.

• Maurice Hodgson of Carnforth, watch manager at Bolton-le-Sands fire stations, received a BEM for services to fire safety.