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Kent's double Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold has been recognised on the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

The 29-year-old became the most successful Winter Olympian in British history earlier this year, after winning back-to-back golds at the Sochi and PyeongChang Games.

The skeleton champion, who will be presented with an OBE, returned to the streets of Kent in April for a celebratory open-bus tour across the Sevenoaks district.

Lizzy Yarnold leaving Sevenoaks District Council offices during her victory parade in April. Picture: Gary Browne

Fans in Otford, Eynsford and Swanley flocked to congratulate the former Maidstone Grammar School for Girls student.

Lizzy, who grew up in West Kingsdown, was also awarded an MBE for her achievements in 2014.

Lizzy Yarnold opening a new sports hall at her former school, Maidstone Grammar School for Girls. Picture: Matthew Walker

Alongside Lizzy, Beverly Aitken will be made an MBE for her services to the community and further education.

She helped oversee the merger of the Canterbury and East Kent Colleges, which transformed two previously failing campuses.

After more than 25 years on East Kent College's governing body, Beverley has been instrumental in creating the multi-site establishment that exists today.

She said: "I’m proud to have helped the college evolve and develop into the formidable one that it is now, providing opportunities for young people across the whole of east Kent.

"It has given me great joy to see the transformative impact which education can have on people’s lives, and it is because of this that I have happily given my time and energy."

Beverley Aitken, who is the current treasurer of the Margate Rotary Club, and was also its president between 2014-15. Picture: Tony Flashman

Nur-Ur-Rahman Khandaker, from Maidstone, will also be presented with an MBE, in recognition of his services to catering and the community.

The 61-year-old, who owns the Gandhi Tandoori in West Malling High Street, came to England from Bangladesh in 1979, moving to Maidstone in 1980.

Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, he has worked closely with the police and with young Muslim groups to promote harmonious relations.

Alongside this, he has helped tackle the problems of drugs and gun crime, whilst raising thousands of pounds for charity.

Mr Khandaker also advised the Government on the development of a fair immigration policy post-Brexit and organised a large demonstration in Trafalgar Square in support of small caterers.

Mr Nur-Ur-Rahman Khandaker, who will be awarded an MBE for his services to the catering industry and to charities worldwide. Picture by: John Westhrop

Mr Khandaker, who had never actively sought publicity, said: "Recognition is important - especially coming from The Queen.

"It makes a difference by encouraging the ethnic community to help promote our shared values."

Three people from Medway have also been recognised on the Queen's birthday honours list.

Roger Philip Bourne from Rochester, who is the deputy head of the aerospace hub, will be presented with an OBE for his services to the British Aerospace Industry.

For her services to local sustainable transport, Cathleen Reeves will also be given an OBE.

She is the deputy director of road user licensing insurance and safety and was nominated by the department for transport.

Dr Farnaaz Sharief at the Pride in Medway Awards 2017. Picture: Andy Jones

Dr Farnaaz Sharief will be appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to mental health.

The former Pride in Medway winner is a member of Medway Clinical Commissioning Group and established Manage Your Mind in 2012 which consists of workshops which help to combat stress and help mental health.

Dr Sharief said: "I’m incredibly honoured, very grateful and absolutely overwhelmed to receive this honour in recognition of my work, which is as much for me as it is for the whole Manage Your Mind team.

"It is also great to see people recognising the importance of good mental health."

Jagdev Singh Virdee from Gravesend. Picture: Clive Sherlock(2452844)

Jagdev Singh Virdee, 62, from Gravesend, will be presented with an MBE for his services to statistics and the Sikh community.

He is the Editor of the British Sikh Report, an annual document looking at the views of Sikhs living in the UK.

The most recent report was put together by himself and 10 volunteers and focuses on the awareness of mental health issues in the Sikh community.

Jagdev is proud to receive the award but is hoping the focus will be on the issue rather than him.

He said: "I hope that this honour will help to raise the profile of real life issues such as mental health, which we have been highlighting through this year’s British Sikh Report.

"This work reflected the need to have high quality statistics to inform discussion of a key issue.

"I hope that people overcome existing stigma and start talking about such topics."

Royal British Legion musical director David Cole

The director of music for the Central Band of the Royal British Legion has been awarded the OBE.

Capt David Cole, 70, of Glen Road,Kingsdown, was included in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to music and Remembrance.

The news comes in the week he joined the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day by being on the sailing of the RBL-chartered ship Boudicca from Dover to Normandy.

Capt Cole was born in Derbyshire and joined the Royal Marines in Deal in 1967, rising up to become a Captain in 1988.

In 1992 he became director of music at Portsmouth andthe Royal Yacht Britannia.

Capt Cole left the Marines in 1998, the same year Britannia was decommissioned.

He went on to teach as head of music at Wellesely House School in Broadstairs, from 1999, and took his current post with the RBL in 2006.

The flagship band has regularly played in and around Deal under his directorship.

In May 2017 he won a BAFTA award for his work in in commemorating those killed in conflicts.

He and other colleagues were honoured for their efforts in the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance in 2016.

The annual event is at the Royal Albert Hall and Capt Cole has over the years written the music, which is played over emotional film clips and narrative.

Here's the full list of the people in Kent who have been recognised:

Order of the Bath

CB

Matthew Coffey. Chief Operating Officer, Ofsted. For services to Education. (Kent)

Order of the British Empire

CBE

Mrs Brenda Dianne Hebb Trenowden. Head of Financial Institutions Group, ANZ Bank and Global Chair, 30 Percent Club.

For services to Exports in the Financial Sector and to Gender Equality. (Sevenoaks)

OBE

Dr Michael John Baker. Grade 6. For services to Defence. (Kent)

Roger Philip Bourne. Deputy head Aerospace Hub, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. For services to the British Aerospace Industry. (Rochester)

Simon Denegri. National director for Patients Carers and the Public, National Institute for Health Research. For services to Public Health and Social Care Research. (Tunbridge Wells)

Mrs Clare Yvonne Horrocks. Formerly Principal Judge, War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber. For services to the Armed Forces and to the Administration of Justice. (Maidstone)

Richard John Oldfield. For services to the Canterbury Cathedral Appeal and to charity. (Sittingbourne)

Mrs Cathleen Pauline Reeves. Deputy director, Road User Licensing Insurance and Safety, Department for Transport. For services to Local Sustainable Transport. (Gillingham, Kent)

Darren Styles. Publisher and Ambassador GREAT Campaign. For services to the Economy, to Diversity and to charity. (Cowden, Kent)

Mrs Agnes Rose Forrest Wylie. Artist. For services to Art. (Kent)

Ms Elizabeth Anne Yarnold, MBE. Athlete. For services to Winter Olympic Sport. (Hampshire)

MBE

Mrs Beverley Aitken. Chair of Governors, East Kent College. For services to Further Education and to the community in Kent. (Margate)

Richard Stephen Ash. For services to the community in Bearsted. (Maidstone)

Christopher Leslie Batten. Formerly HR Casework Legacy manager Department for Transport. For services to Public Administration. (Tonbridge)

Mrs Susan Catterall. Trustee, Orpington Unit Management Committee, Sea Cadet Corps. For voluntary service to Young People. (Kent)

Derek Dreher. Records Sensitivity Reviewer Northern Ireland Office. For services to Information Management. (Hartley, Kent)

Mrs Rachelle Louise Freeguard. Higher Officer, Border Force, Gatwick Airport. For services to the Prevention of Trafficking and Border Security. (Kent)

William James Hewson. For services to Sport and to the community in Hythe and Folkstone Kent. (Hythe)

Professor Sally Kendall. Professor Community Nursing and Public Health, University of Kent. For services to Nursing and to Research. (St Albans)

Nur-ur-Rahman Khandaker. For services to catering and to the community in Aylesford Kent. (Aylesford)

Guy Julian Maginn. Higher Officer Customs manager, Border Force, Home Office. For public service. (Kent)

William McKnight. Volunteer Coastal Warden Thanet Coast Project. For services to the community and Marine Environment. (Ramsgate)

Dr John Martin Ribchester. Senior and Executive Partner Whitstable Medical Practice, NHS Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group. For services to General Practice. (Whitstable)

Mrs Christine Vanessa Richards. Head of, Radiotherapy Services, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. For services to Cancer Patients. (Maidstone)

Ms Barbara Elizabeth Schonhofer. Chief executive Schonhofer and Founder, Insurance Supper Club. For services to Women in Business. (Tenterden)

Dr Farnaaz Sharief. Governing Body Elected Clinical Member NHS Medway Clinical Commissioning Group. For services to Mental Health. (Chatham)

Jagdev Singh Virdee. For services to statistics and to the Sikh community. (Gravesend)

British Empire Medal

BEM

The Reverend Marina Jeffrey-Watson. For services to the Church and to the community in Westgate-on-Sea Kent. (Kent)

Ewen Grant Kellas. For services in the community in Horsmonden Kent. (Kent)

Mrs Diana Clare Knox. For services to the community in Wrotham, Kent. (Sevenoaks)

Mrs Dorothy Ann McGovern. For services to the community in Folkestone, Kent. (Kent)

Mrs Rosemary Shelley Phillips. For charitable services to the local community in West Kent. (Tonbridge)

Dr Agimol Pradeep. Volunteer Nurse Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Organ Donation. (Ashford)

David James Slack. For voluntary services to the community in Kent and Berkshire. (Yattendon)

Lawrence Tristram Smith. For services to the community in Lewisham and Bromley London. (Kent)

Queen's Police Medal

QPM

Paul Brandon. Deputy chief Constable Kent Police.