Harborough volunteer receives royal honour for her dedication to the community

Maureen O'Malley with Colonel Murray Colville and fellow honours recipient Peter Blount.

A long-standing charity worker from Harborough has received a royal honour.

Maureen O’Malley was honoured with a British Empire Medal after being named in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024.

Maureen worked for many years in various roles at Voluntary Action South Leicestershire, a local charity providing services and projects to improve lives.

She secured external funding to set up and establish a dementia guardians initiative to provide additional support to people in need in Market Harborough.

The volunteer stalwart was among three people in the county to receive the medal from the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Colonel Murray Colville.

Col Colville said: “I am delighted to present these honours to three Leicestershire residents who have dedicated themselves to the wellbeing of their communities.

“Their wonderful and selfless contributions have been rightly recognised, and it is a real pleasure and privilege for me, in my role as Vice Lord-Lieutenant, to present these honours to them on behalf of His Majesty the King.”