Congratulations - Five Valleys heroes named in New Year's Honours List (From Stroud News and Journal)

Congratulations - Five Valleys heroes named in New Year's Honours List

A PHYSIOTHERAPIST from Bussage who chose her career after her teenage brother was attacked in a pub has been rewarded with an OBE.

Natalie Beswetherick, 43, head of physiotherapy at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust, went into the health service after seeing her sibling's head injury successfully treated with physiotherapy.

She was among four Five Valleys people to be named in the New Year's Honours List.

The others were Nailsworth-born David Saunders, former director of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, and old Wycliffe pupil Rev Tim Alban-Jones, now vicar of Soham.

Mrs Beswetherick is the only one still to live in the Stroud area. She said: "I was very pleased and humbled.

"I had been asked to give consent to my nomination but then didn't hear anything until the list was announced.

"My husband Glen and I were on holiday in the Lakes and I made him go out and buy every paper. "When I saw my name I couldn't believe it."

Mrs Beswetherick grew up in Worcester. When she was 16 a drunk hit her brother with a billiard cue. His skull was fractured but he made a full recovery.

Mrs Beswetherick studied at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham and worked in Worcester, Plymouth and Cornwall before transferring to Cheltenham.

Since 1991 she has lived in Bussage with her husband Glen, a postman in Stonehouse.

Mrs Beswetherick is now general manager of trauma and orthopaedics in Gloucestershire and vice president of The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

David Saunders was given an MBE for services to wildlife conservation in Wales.

He said: "The award was a complete surprise. "I was overwhelmed."

Mr Saunders was brought up in Newmarket and Forest Green. His father Raymond still lives in the area.

The conservationist was inspired to work in natural history by teacher Mr Levitt at Stroud Technical School.

Mr Saunders said: "He used to bring things in to show us, like butterflies, and he encouraged me to join the Tetbury naturalists.

"We would go birdwatching by the Severn."

Mr Saunders, who retired in 1999, left school in 1953 to go to Stroud Technical College.

Later he became the first warden of the Skomer Island National Reserve, Pembrokeshire.

Now retired, he was director of the regional Wildlife Trust and had responsibility for nature reserves in Carmarthen, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire as well as Skomer and Skokholm islands. He has written 12 books.

Mr Saunders lives in Milford Haven with wife Shirley, nee Hooper, also from the Stroud area.

Rev Tim Alban-Jones was given an MBE in recognition of his public role after the disappearance of young parishioners Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

The vicar grew up in Kingscote, near Horsley, and was a pupil at Wycliffe before going to Warwick University.

* Dedicated county police officer Chris Joy was also given an MBE.

PC Joy, 43, works in the schools involvement unit in Cheltenham. He said: "My heart is in working with young people.

"When you can establish trust and understanding, that is the best feeling in the world."