Three people who were honoured for their service to their communities in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 have been presented with their awards by the Lord-Lieutenant at a ceremony at County Hall, Glenfield.
Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mike Kapur OBE CStJ, presented three British Empire Medals (BEM) at the ceremony, held on Monday 29 September.
The BEM recipients were:
- Katie Lynch, for services to children and families. Mrs Lynch runs the Allexton Day Nursery in Leicester, which welcomes children from all backgrounds and abilities. She was honoured for her years of dedication to children and families in the community, which has transformed numerous lives.
- Karen Setchell, for services to animal welfare and sustainability. Ms Setchell formerly managed the team looking after the Loughborough University campus, which won several awards under her leadership, including one from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, and the internationally-recognised Green Flag award. She is also a passionate supporter for animal welfare causes and runs many initiatives to benefit these causes.
- Derek Windybank, for services to the community in west Leicestershire. Mr Windybank was a founding member of the West Leicestershire Community First Responder Group in 2011, and has served the group ever since, even after retiring as an active responder in 2022.
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 was a real pleasure and privilege for me, in my role as Lord-Lieutenant, to present these honours on behalf of His Majesty the King.
It is always heartening to gather and celebrate the very best examples of community stalwarts in Leicestershire.
Person:Mike Kapur OBE CStJ, Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire